Requiem for an Angel
by Olive Hue
Summary: Claire Giovannucci has been transported against her will to Gaia. Kuja has just found his chance to redeem himself. Can they save Earth from a madman before time runs out for them both? UPDATE: chapter fifteen, finally
1. Rally ho!

A/N: All righty, let's try this again. My name is Wakizashi, and I published this first chapter about a million years ago under the name 'That Much Brighter'. But then I was without the Internet, so I couldn't update it. But now I'm back! Huzzah! Anyway, I think you'll like this one. If you're a Final Fantasy IX fan, which you must be if you're here, give it a chance, because I'm quite proud of it. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy IX. If I did, I'd be working on an FFIX television series instead of sitting here writing about it.

----

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter One: Rally-ho

----

Claire Giovannucci was fed up with people. She was normally a very tolerant person; at least, in her opinion. But today, something was different. She didn't know if the earth's axis was off center, and it was making everyone fifty-eight times nastier than normal or what, but she was getting sick of it.

She awoke that morning to the pleasant sounds of the couple in apartment 3A screaming at each other; apparently about something mind-numbingly trivial, like taking out the garbage. The couple's fights were frequent, however, so Claire assumed that this act of ill will was an isolated occurrence. So, after taking a shower and fussing with her hair - silently thanking the gods of styling products - she ate her usual breakfast of coffee and a bagel like all other New Yorkers, careful not to wake her roommate Sophie, who worked nights, and prepared for another merry day at the salon.

Before she made it to her front door, though, Claire was shown another example of human heartlessness: a call from her little brother Richie, who was only eleven, informing her that her pet tarantula, Snuggles, was dead. Claire was devastated; she was not allowed to have pets in her apartment, no matter how small, so she had had to leave her poor mexican red-kneed tarantula with Richie. She had visited every chance she had gotten, but with her job and hectic life, it was hard to find time. And now her brother had to be the one to convey the literally crushing news: her own mother had killed Snuggles with a rolled-up copy of the Times. The funeral was still being scheduled.

So, considerably less buoyant than before, Claire had left her apartment building and walked the ten blocks in the crisp, early April air to her place of employment, the Shear Perfection hair salon; or as they insisted on calling it, "clinic".

Claire liked her job. She had graduated from beauty school at the tender age of nineteen, and now, only a year later, she had found a job she genuinely liked. Sometimes it annoyed her when her customers eyed her with a certain wariness, but she supposed she could understand how they felt. She was young, after all, and thanks to her diminutive physical appearance, she looked even younger. At a prodigious five feet one inch, she had a pixie-like fragility about her, which was, if anything, accentuated by her chin-length, gravity-defying brown hair and liquid brown eyes. She tried wearing tall shoes to reverse the effect, but it didn't seem to work. She couldn't count how many times her uncle had asked her, "How old are you now, Claire? Fourteen?"

Yes, she was young, but she was good at what she did. And normally, her clients loved what she did with their hair. Except today, when the entire world insisted on being evil.

One after another, every customer she catered to was snotty and indecisive, unable to commit to a specific hair style. When they finally decided what they wanted done, Claire had done it, simply glad to wield the scissors. Once she had finished, either the client hated it, or he or she whined and complained about how long it took, or how expensive it was. She bit back the urge to tell them to go somewhere else next time, but her manager had been very clear about not driving away business.

And so it was all day: people coming in and out, unhappy with their lot in life and taking it out on Claire. At one point, a man coming in for a trim attempted to use a phony credit card, and then accused them of extortion when they refused to accept it. Claire would not have been surprised if someone had called in a bomb threat before the day was done.

Thankfully, her shift was over before anything like that could happen. Severely drained and still grieving over the loss of Snuggles, she hoisted on her shoulder bag and walked out of the hair "clinic", nearly forgetting her day's tips, meager though they were. She didn't feel like walking home, no matter how short the distance, so she hailed a taxi. That idea was quickly abandoned when the sleazeball driver kept coming on to her with his sicko grins and eyebrow wiggles. Feeling faintly nauseous, she ordered the cab to a stop and scrambled out, not bothering to wait for correct change.

And then came the defining moment of Claire Giovannucci's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day: it began to rain.

Wanting to scream her frustration at the heavens, she began to run the rest of the way to her apartment, her tall black boots squelching on the wet sidewalk. But it seemed the rain was bent on thwarting Claire's efforts to stay dry, because it was soon coming down in torrents, and she had to duck under the nearest covered alleyway. Her hair was drenched and weeping beads of water.

She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep warm. She knew that the rain wasn't the result of any human malice, but it upset her all the same. All day long, she had witnessed proof that most people had nothing better to do than bring pain to each other, and the sudden downpour almost seemed to illustrate the point. _God help the earth if everyone possessed a firearm_, she thought bitterly. She clutched her shoulder bag tighter, ready to throw in the towel on humankind and hoping she wouldn't get mugged.

Sighing softly to herself, she waited in the dark alley for the rain to lessen. Finally, when it seemed a second Great Flood was in the process of drowning the city, it seemed to let up, if only a little. Claire was about to go out into the street and brave the storm when a bright blue light suddenly shone somewhere behind her. She turned around to face the source of the light and gasped in surprise.

The strange blue glow was coming from a single point of light no more than ten feet away from her, almost blinding in its brilliance. Her heart pounding with fear from this unknown phenomenon, Claire began to back away. But even as she retreated, the light grew brighter and even more dazzling, until it was almost white. She was aware that her breaths were being drawn in as ragged gasps, but she was almost oblivious to anything but the blinding glow.

Then, helpless to avoid it, the light enveloped her. She brought her hands up to her face to shield her eyes, and then just as quickly as it grew to its brightest point, she saw nothing but blackness.

----

The first thing Claire noticed was the searing pain in her head. And then, slowly, she became aware that she was lying on her back, and that a rock was jabbing her in the hip. She opened her eyes, squinting against the unexpected light of a warm, sunny day. _Did the rain stop?_ was her immediate thought. Her eyes seemed to take forever to focus, but when she finally was able to see the welcome sight of a clear blue sky, it was abruptly blocked by a large, bulky shape.

Before she could even wonder what the obstruction was, it spoke, scaring the living crap out of her.

"Rally-ho, lassy! Did ye take a knock tae the hede?"

"AAAAGHHH!" She sat up straight, rigid as a board, to come face-to-face with a short, squatty person with greenish skin. Taking in the squashed features and flattened nose, she decided the only place where she had seen such an individual was in her grandmother's front yard. It looked like a lawn gnome. Except uglier.

Claire quickly scrambled to her feet, gripping her shoulder bag protectively and ignoring the throbbing pain in her head. The gnome - or dwarf; she wasn't really sure when it came to short-person formalities - wore an expression of confusion on its wide face as it looked up at her. "Sorry tae frighten ye, lassy," it said. Judging from the pitch of its voice, it seemed to be a male. "But it bain't safe oot here nearin' the Sanctuary. Ye could get hurt."

She nodded dumbly as she tried to decipher his odd accent. Looking around for the first time, shock quickly overpowered her fear. She was standing in a clearing, soft grass under her booted feet. Surrounding her on three sides were sheer cliff walls. A long, winding path lay beneath her feet, leading up the canyon behind her. The rock walls were red in the midday sun. Her bafflement only made her head hurt worse. It had been almost six o'clock in the evening before she had... what, fallen asleep? No, that didn't seem right.

Remembrance of what had happened washed over her like a tidal wave. The rain, the alley, the blinding blue light. Had that been responsible for where she was now?

Where _was_ she now?

She turned to the gnomey-dwarfy-guy to ask him, and found that he had just spoken to her. She blinked. "What did you say?" she asked, her voice sounding hoarse in her ears.

"I said, what's yer name, lass?" he repeated.

"Oh," she replied, remembering her manners. "It's Claire. Claire Giovannucci."

The dwarf nodded slowly, puzzling over this new information. "Well if that bain't the strangest name I ever heerd," he said thoughtfully. "I'm William! Glad tae meet ye!" He raised his large hand in greeting.

Claire mimicked the gesture, still numb with shock. She cleared her throat, and when she spoke again, her voice was clearer. "Where am I?" she asked him.

William looked at her as though she were daft. "That were a mighty knock tae the hede indeed, if'n ye dinnae ken where ye are!" he exclaimed. Gesturing expansively at the surrounding canyon walls, he said, "This here be the Conde Petie moontain path. It leads tae Conde Petie, hametoon o' the dwarves. And tae the west," he added, pointing vaguely in said direction, "is the Sanctuary."

"Sanctuary?" she heard herself echo.

"Ye're as ignorant as the newcomers that came aboot two years ago," he said, shaking his head in disapproval. "The Sanctuary's where all the couples receive the blessin' after undergoin' the Ceremony. Ye can see it, once ye go up higher."

Not bothering to ask what the Ceremony was, Claire looked to the west. She thought she could see the very tip of some massive object, but she couldn't tell what it was.

"Ye shouldn't be oot here," William chastised. "There're all kinds o' horrid beasts runnin' aroon' oot here."

Claire swallowed involuntarily. "Beasts? You guys have beasts?" Having no clue were she was was bad enough; to discover the place was infested with monsters was almost too much to bear.

William sighed wearily. Apparently he had never met anyone who didn't know what he was talking about. "I best heist ye back tae Conde Petie," he said, leading her up the path. "Maybe Father David'll ken what tae dae wit' ye!"

As they walked together, young bewildered human and exasperated dwarf, they gradually rose above the canyon walls. The warm sun on Claire's shoulders was a nice change from the dreary streets of Manhattan, but she still had no idea what had happened, or why she had been transported to this bizarre place. She wondered who the heck Father David was. Probably Conde Petie's leader or holy guy or something.

Her legs were getting tired by the time the "hametoon o' the dwarves" came into view. It was without a doubt the strangest town she had ever seen. The entire structure was some sort of giant lopsided block of stone, perched precariously over a deep crevasse. It was held up by a pair of strange arching branches, and despite its dangerous position, it looked surprisingly stable.

Her squat companion let out an "Ah!" of exclamation, pointing to the west once more. "Can ye see it?" he asked. "Can ye see the Sanctuary?"

Claire followed his finger and finally got a decent look at the so-called Sanctuary that the dwarf kept blathering on about. What she had expected to be an architectural construction was instead an enormous withered tree, towering over the plains that surrounded it. Tangled roots sprung from its thick brown trunk, and a thin layer of mist was settled between the cracks. All was dry and shriveled.

She arched a dark eyebrow. "That's the Sanctuary? No offense, but it's not exactly awe-inspiring." She took another look at the tree. It looked extremely dead. "What happened to it?"

Another sigh of impatience. "Yer questions're makin' my hede ache!" complained William. "Follow me now, we're almoost there." As she trailed dutifully behind the strange little person, they made the rest of the trip to Conde Petie in silence.

Claire would almost have been grateful for the rest, but the sensory overload that greeted her in the village was enough to dispel any feelings of relief. Before she could even take in the oddly pleasant surroundings, friendly but persistent dwarves - of both gender - closed in on all sides, bombarding her with questions and remarks in their... interesting dialect. They wouldn't even let her in until she had said "Rally-ho".

"What a bonny lass! William, did ye find yer true love at last?"

"What were ye doin' on the moontain path? Dae ye wannae get yerself killed?"

"Giovannucci? What a funny name! And such funny clothin' as well! Where dae ye hail from?"

"Ye're sae thin, child! A boiled owl or a bit o' oglop stew would do ye good!"

Claire tried to answer their questions as politely as she could, but she felt as though she were Alice, and had tumbled down a rabbit-hole into a far stranger Wonderland than had ever been written about. She wondered what her brother would think of this place. He was always reading novels about dragons and elves, or playing fantasy video games. He would sure get a kick out of these dwarves.

She felt a sudden pang as she thought of Richie. She wasn't sure about the geography of this place, but she had a sneaking suspicion that she was far away from Manhattan. What would her friends and family think when she didn't pick up the phone, or open her door? Would they be worried? More importantly, would she ever see them again?

All this Claire pondered as her short acquaintances pummeled her with questions. _Now I know how William felt_, she thought with a touch of irony.

Either Darcy Skywatcher or Helen Birdkeeper - she couldn't remember, and they both looked the same - was asking her about her hair when someone entered the room who was decidedly not a dwarf. _No_, she thought, _definitely not short enough for a dwarf_. This person was tall, and draped in a hooded cloak. Beneath the folds of heavy fabric she could tell it was a man, and a slim one at that. His head was bowed, hiding his face from view, but as he walked past her their eyes met briefly, and she caught a glimpse of icy blue.

_Whoa!_ was the first thing that came to mind. She watched, fascinated, as the cloaked man passed through a door at the far side of the room, which led to some sort of shop.

She had to follow him; it was that simple. Maybe he had some answers as to where exactly she was, and how she had gotten there. Surely someone knew, and what could it hurt to ask?

Smiling and nodding apologies, Claire escaped the clutches of her dwarfin interrogators and walked through the door into which the tall man had entered. She found him standing before a display of fruits and vegetables, talking with the shopkeeper. From where she was, she couldn't hear what they were saying, but as she got closer, she could make out their words.

"I dinnae ken wha' tae tell ye, laddie," the dwarf-woman was saying, "but we oonly sell two kinds o' bread. We have yer oat-bread an' yer wheat-bread, but tha's all we got."

A soft sigh came from under the hood. "The only shop on the Outer Continent, and they only sell two kinds of bread," the man muttered. "Very well," he said irritably, "give me the wheat. And two bottles of milk. Money is no object."

_Ooh, a rich boy_, thought Claire, rolling her eyes with a smirk. Still, his voice was melodic and pleasant to listen to, with a strange, exotic accent that she couldn't begin to place. And what was he talking about? The Outer Continent? Was that where she was?

"There ye go, laddie," said the dwarf, transferring the bag of groceries to the man. The hand that reached out from under the cloak to take the bag was pale and slender. "Heist ye back again soon!"

"Yes, I don't doubt it," he replied under his breath. He turned away from the grocery counter and walked to the exit with the bag hanging from the crook of his elbow, only to find Claire standing in the doorway. He stopped abruptly and stared at her, his blue eyes burning into her from under the hood. There was a short silence, but he was the first to break it. "You are in my way," he stated bluntly.

Her first response was to raise an eyebrow involuntarily. Her second was to clear her throat. "I'm sorry, sir," she replied slowly, "but I was wondering if you could help me."

Surprise registered in those frosty eyes before they narrowed warily. "Help you?" he repeated suspiciously. "Me?"

"Y-yes," she began, unsure of how she should describe her predicament without sounding insane. If, indeed, she wasn't.

Before she could stutter out a hesitant "You see", however, he gave another weary sigh. "I'm dreadfully sorry, but I don't have time to answer questions. I've already spent too much time here as it is." His tone was far less apologetic than his words, and as he spoke his foot tapped impatiently on the stone floor.

Claire frowned. "But I'm not asking for very much of your time," she protested. "I woke up outside Conde Petie, and I have no idea how I got there, so I was wondering--"

"So you had too much to drink last night and passed out on the mountain path. Is that really such a mystery, little bird?" the man interrupted, resting his hand curtly on his hip. Claire fumed at his impudence. "I am in quite a hurry, so if you don't mind..." Before she could react, he plucked her bodily off the ground and set her down away from the doorway. "Good day," he called with false cheer over his shoulder as he left the shop.

Sputtering with indignation, she stomped heatedly after him and began to yell at his retreating back. "Fine, you know what? Forget it! Apparently whatever you've got going on is infinitely more important than what happened to me! And for your information, I'm not even old enough to drink!" she snapped. "Man, and I thought people in New York were rude!"

Abruptly the man stopped, and slowly turned around to stare at her. "What did you say?" he asked in disbelief.

"Oh, so now I finally get through to you," she said sarcastically. "Maybe I just don't feel like talking to you anymore."

Suddenly the breath was knocked out of her as the man pushed her against the hard stone wall, causing her to drop her purse. His hand gripping her arm tightly, he hissed, "You wouldn't speak to me so if you knew who I was."

"Well then, lucky me," she coughed.

He cocked his head slightly to the side, and he released his hold on her. She picked up her purse and backed quickly into a corner, beginning to suspect that this place she had been transported to wasn't all green grass and friendly dwarves. "You don't know who I am?" the man asked, regarding her intently now.

Claire scowled at him. "Why would I lie?" she shot back, rubbing her sore arm.

A silence followed as her words hung in the air. Then the man took a step closer to her, which in turn caused her to shrink back against the wall. Slowly he raised one of his hands and drew the hood back on his cloak. A cascade of long silver hair immediately fell down around his shoulders, his bangs falling against his forehead and framing his face. Strangely, a spray of white feathers jutted out from the top of his head. His face was pale, his features soft, and his blue eyes peered at her from under long, curling lashes.

He was, in a word, gorgeous.

As Claire stared dumbly at him, he took another step forward. "You really... don't know?" he asked again.

_I wish I did_, she thought, but didn't say it out loud. Instead, she shook her head. "I think it's pretty evident that I don't know much of anything," she replied. "I don't know where I am, or how I got here, or how far I am from home..." She sighed and looked up at him expectantly. "Well, you've got me curious now. Who are you?"

At first he didn't answer. Then he raised his hand and, as she watched, a green light began to glow; not unlike the strange blue light she had seen in the alley, but more calming. She began to feel sleepy, and her legs became incredibly weak. Her knees suddenly gave out, but before she hit the ground, she was caught by a pair of masculine arms. As her head lolled back, she gazed up into those riveting eyes; like a clear winter sky reflected on the ice of a frozen pond. Before Claire's own eyes fluttered shut, she saw his pale lips curve in a smile.

"There will be plenty of time for that later... little bird..."

----

So! That's that. But don't worry, there's more where that came from. That is, if you want me to continue. So leave a review and tell me what you think! Does it show promise, or am I wasting my time? If I get enough positive reviews, I'll continue, so get those fingers typing! Thanks, 


	2. Deadline

A/N: Hello again! Have you been waiting in suspense? No? Well, that's all right, the story's just begun. So yeah, here's chapter two, finally. Thanks for your reviews, and I hope you enjoy the next installment! Go on, read!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy IX. Although sometimes I pretend.

----

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Two: Deadline

----

_That was the best sleep of my life_, thought Claire Giovannucci as she drifted back into consciousness. She heaved a contented sigh, her eyes still closed. She was so comfortable, she didn't want to move a muscle. And then, idly, she wondered why she had fallen asleep in the first place.

Of course! It must have been a dream! Oh, thank you, God! The bizarre dwarves and the crazy town that was built over a canyon and that sinister - but hot - guy with the silver hair... It had all been a dream!

Smiling to herself, Claire sat up and stretched luxuriantly, her eyes still closed. _What a crazy-ass dream_, she thought with a yawn. It seemed almost unfeasible that her mind could have created that upside-down world by itself. After all, it was her brother that played all those fantasy games, not her. Oh, well.

She opened her eyes and found herself staring into a pair of icy blue ones.

"I am glad to see you are awake, little bird."

Claire screamed and tried to scramble away, but the silver-haired man grabbed her firmly by the wrist. "Calm yourself, my canary," he purred, his strange accent causing his words to flow off his tongue and into the air like music. "I wouldn't be so anxious to leave me, if I were you, considering the alternative."

Frowning at him, Claire took in her surroundings for the first time and nearly suffered another heart attack. They were sitting on the back of an enormous silverish-green dragon, which was flying through the sky while the ground swept by underneath them. Even as she watched, the beast's enormous wings sliced the air in smooth, liquid motions.

Her hand over her heart to keep it from bursting through her chest, Claire turned back to the blue-eyed stranger. "Who the hell are you, and what do you want with me?" she demanded.

"My name is Kuja," he replied, raising a hand to run it casually through his silver tresses. "Terribly sorry for casting a Sleep spell on you, but I feared that you might not come with me voluntarily." Once again, his words were much more gracious than the tone in which he spoke them.

Claire gaped at him. "A Sleep spell?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Why didn't you just _ask_ me? You didn't have to put me to sleep and _kidnap_ me! Geez!"

The man named Kuja smiled wickedly. "On the contrary, I believe it was the only way to get you to come with me. It is most certain you would not have agreed once you saw my... mode of transportation." He gestured toward the silver dragon beneath them.

Claire swallowed. It all seemed so unreal. "So... why _did_ you want me to come with you?" she asked.

"You will find out soon enough," he replied evasively. "But first, I wish to know your name."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously; she didn't trust this man, and something inside her told her that she should be afraid of him. But at the moment, she really had no choice but to humor him. "Claire," she said quietly. "Claire Giovannucci."

Kuja repeated it, and in his voice it sounded wonderfully fascinating. "An odd name," he mused, "but no more odd than Kuja, no doubt." He gazed at her broodingly for a moment, and then looked out over the landscape below. "Ah, we're nearly there. Silver Dragon, take us a little lower."

The great beast rumbled its reply, and descended enough in altitude for Claire to observe that they had just passed over a mountain range and were now heading toward a vast desert. Scattered here and there across the arid wasteland were giant pits of quicksand. It was toward one of these frightful pits that the dragon was flying.

"Whoa, what are we doing?" she asked, fighting a rising panic. "Tell your dragon or whatever to stop, we're flying right into that thing!"

Kuja sighed, as if he were supremely bored. "Don't excite yourself, little bird," he replied. "Silver Dragon knows what he is doing. He's been here many times before."

"Well, what is it?"

"It is the entrance to my palace."

"Your palace?" she repeated. "You have a palace?" She took a closer look at him, and decided he did look like the type to live in a palace. He certainly had an air of royalty about him.

As the dragon drew nearer to the sand pit, Claire realized what Kuja had been talking about: the quickly falling sand had concealed an opening at the bottom of the cavity. A metal walkway, beginning at the top of the pit, issued down into the hole; but the dragon, bypassing this, lowered itself straight through, landing at the bottom of a great cavern.

The dragon stooped low to the ground, and Kuja stepped off gracefully onto the ground. He stared up at her expectantly, and she hesitantly dismounted the creature, hoping it wouldn't turn around and take a bite out of her. Giving the dragon an affectionate pat on the head, Kuja led her through the cavern toward a round platform with strange symbols set into it.

"After you," he said, motioning toward the platform. As she approached it, he added, "You may feel a little... disembodied."

_Interesting choice of words_, Claire thought as she stepped on the platform. But before she could discern their meaning, she felt her skin begin to tingle. She frowned and looked down at her hands, and discovered with horror that she could see right through them. _The lying snake!_ she thought with a desperate rage. _He tricked me, and now he's going to vaporize me!_

But suddenly all thought, along with all sensation, flew from her mind and body, and when she was aware of herself again, she was in completely different surroundings. Looking down, she saw she was on a similar platform, and she quickly jumped off it. Trying to slow her pulse, she took slow, deep breaths as she looked around.

She was in a large, lavishly appointed chamber with a tall, groined ceiling, lit by dozens of candelabras. Strange statues stood in a circle, keeping a vigilant guard, and at the front of the room a tall image of a woman with folded wings gazed benevolently down at her. Several doors leading to other chambers stood on either side, and a staircase wound upward toward more unseen rooms.

"Here, this belongs to you."

She jumped, startled, to find Kuja standing behind her, staring at her with an inscrutable expression on his pale face. He held out an object toward her, and she looked at it for a moment with a sense of incomprehension before she realized it was her purse. Clearing her throat nervously, she took it from him. "Oh yeah, I forgot," she said, dazed. "But... why have you brought me here? For that matter, why are you so interested in me?"

"Come," he said indifferently, seemingly ignoring her question. He took her through an arched doorway, and she followed, glaring at his back. They arrived in a huge, circular, domed room, with a tall bookcase set against one wall, and furnished with a few tables and a pair of comfortable-looking armchairs placed by a gigantic fireplace. Other books lay scattered in various places. While the room looked ancient, the furniture seemed to be a new addition. The space was vast and yet cozy.

"This is my sanctum," said Kuja, motioning to the armchairs for Claire to sit down. Taking a book from one of the shelves, her host placed it in her lap and sat in the opposite chair. With a raised eyebrow, Claire read the spine of the book: 'A Complete Historical and Geographical Guide to Gaia'. "What's Gaia?" she asked.

"Open it," he ordered.

Puzzled, she did as she was told. She nearly dropped the book as a glowing, blue spherical object about the size of a basketball appeared in front of her. The book seemed to be projecting it into the air. "What is it?" she breathed, bewildered.

"Gaia, of course," Kuja replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Claire watched as the luminous orb slowly rotated on its axis. "It's a planet?" she asked.

"What does it look like?" Claire frowned, annoyed at his tone. "Yes, my turtledove, it is a planet. The planet on which you currently find yourself."

Her eyes darted from the glowing ball to Kuja. "What? You mean this crazy place we're in right now is another planet? We're _on_ Gaia?"

"Correct. Here, to be more precise." Leaning forward, Kuja lifted a long, thin finger and placed it on a spot on the transparent globe. Amazingly, the orb responded to his touch and moved in the direction his finger pulled it. "My palace is here, on the Outer Continent," he said, turning the ball until she could see an irregularly shaped stretch of land surrounded by what she could only assume to be water. "And here," he added, pointing to the western end of the continent, "is Conde Petie."

"That's where I woke up and found that dwarf-guy staring down at me!" Claire exclaimed. "Before that, I was still in New York!"

"Yes," Kuja said slowly, taking the book from her. As he closed it, the image of the blue planet vanished instantly. "Yes," he repeated in a disconcerted voice as he set the book on a nearby table. "That is why I brought you here, Claire. This place you speak of, New York... Is it located on a planet called Earth?"

"Yeah, it is." Claire frowned. "Hey, how'd you know that, if I've never heard of Gaia?"

Kuja did not answer immediately. He stood up and removed his cloak, throwing it over the back of his chair. Claire tried not to stare, but it was pretty hard not to be surprised by what she saw. A billowy white shirt was draped over Kuja's slender frame, open at the collar and showing much of his pale chest. He also wore a pair of pale blue trousers and thick-soled tan boots, but none of these were what had caught Claire's attention.

Silver-gray, glossy, and twitching back and forth behind him as he paced restlessly across the library, was a long, furry tail.

_Just when I was beginning to think he looked relatively normal_, she thought, fighting an inexplicable urge to laugh.

As she stared at the fuzzy appendage, swishing around anxiously, Kuja stopped. "What?" he asked guardedly.

"Nothing," she said quickly, trying not to look too shocked. "So, as I was saying, how do you know about Earth, if I've never--"

"You're looking at my tail," he said bluntly, like an accusation.

"No, not at all," she said nervously. It suddenly occurred to her that it might be a bad idea to piss him off. "I was just, uhh... You have a tail?"

"I beg your pardon, but I do not appreciate you making light of the subject," he informed her imperiously. "Yes, I have a tail, as you have obviously noticed, and I would be grateful if you did not call attention to it."

Claire swallowed and looked down at her lap. "I-I know," she stuttered. "And I'm sorry... Kuja... I'm sorry for being insensitive, and... and it's a very nice tail. It looks... soft."

It was clear that Kuja did not take this as a compliment, but aside from an irritated sigh he did not comment on it. "Getting back to the matter at hand," he prompted, returning to his chair, "meaning your planet Earth, I have long known of its existence." He paused. "Many years ago, in a city called Daguerreo, I came upon an ancient text that told of a planet far from Gaia known as Earth. It was thought to be inhabited by billions of people, and its technology was unbelievably advanced. But the economy was weak, and for many centuries, the wealthy reigned mercilessly over the impoverished."

Claire nodded; she ought to know the history of her own planet, and it corresponded with what her host described. But to hear it from Kuja, someone who had never seen Earth, was strangely unsettling.

"Finally, the people began to prosper. They learned how to treat their diseases, to educate their children, to use their resources wisely, and to make their planet a better place to live." He stared pensively into the glowing fire for a long moment. "But just when it seemed the people would thrive, war broke out.

"A maniacal genius discovered a mysterious, powerful force and, wielding it, he brought chaos unto Earth. Nation after nation fell; countless people perished under this terrible power. Some tried to resist, to stop the tyrant, but... it was only a matter of time before Earth was beyond salvation. The entire planet was completely destroyed."

Through all of Kuja's narrative, Claire had been finding it more and more difficult to breathe. Now she felt like she was suffocating. "Destroyed?" she repeated in a strangled voice. "How do you know?"

"Oh, what do you take me for?" he snapped irritably. "Do you think I believe everything I read? I researched the subject extensively. The text was unquestionably genuine." He stopped, and resumed more calmly. "I am sorry to be the bearer of this news. But when you said in Conde Petie that you were from New York, I had to speak to you, at any cost." He leaned forward and placed his hand on hers, and she wondered absently if he had multiple personalities. "For you see, the text made it very clear where it all was to occur. It was to begin in New York."

Claire jerked in her seat, as if she had been physically assaulted. Somehow, she knew it was coming, but that didn't make the news any less devastating. "When..." She faltered, and tried again. "When is all this going to happen?"

"According to the text... it will begin in the year 2006 by your Earth calendar."

Again Claire felt a crushing blow. "2006? That can't be! It's already 2005!" She pulled her hand out of Kuja's and passed it across her face. "Are you telling me..." she said, her voice barely audible, "that my planet is going to be destroyed in a year?"

Kuja nodded gravely. "I'm afraid so."

Claire exploded from her chair, driven by an illogical need for action. "I've got to stop it!" she exclaimed, pacing around aimlessly. "I've got to get back to Earth! There must be _some_ way to prevent it from happening!"

Her host rose patiently to his feet. "Claire--"

"Don't you get it?" she said frantically. "I _have_ to do something! If I don't, everyone will die! Oh, God, how am I ever going to get back-- Oww, let me go!"

Kuja had gotten hold of her arm and squeezed it tightly. She tried to squirm out of his grasp, but he had an iron grip. "Be calm, you silly girl," he said crossly. "You will do your planet no good by flailing about like a chocobo with its head cut off."

"Chocobo?" she echoed, baffled.

"There might be a way to return you to Earth," he continued, ignoring her. "And if we succeed, we might just be able to stop it from happening. Perhaps if we find this mysterious force before it's discovered..." He shook his head. "In the meantime, try not to lose your head. And I beg you, _please_ don't act rashly. Everything depends on our prudence."

He released her arm, and she rubbed it, frowning at him. "You're really going to help me?" she asked skeptically. "The last time I asked for your help, you accused me of being a drunk."

He looked away from her. "I have my reasons," was all he said.

Though Claire didn't think this was a good enough answer, she wasn't about to badger the only person on this bizarre planet who was helping her. "Well, anyway," she muttered, sticking out her hand. "Thank you."

Kuja stared at it for a moment in shock, then slowly reached out and shook her hand. "You're... welcome," he said, blinking.

She raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter? You act like you've never been thanked before."

Pulling his hand out of hers, he turned away, his thrashing tail betraying his conflicting emotions. "I haven't," he replied in a low voice.

----

A/N: Poor Kuja... Anyway, there you have it. Earth is on the brink of destruction. Kind of makes you glad it's only fiction, doesn't it? All righty, well, leave a review before you go, you nice person, you, and I'll get to work on chapter 


	3. Adverse Conditions

A/N: Chapter three already? Wow, and the story hasn't even gone anywhere yet! Oh, but it will... I can promise you that. Starting with this chapter!

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX, along with all its characters, places, and other elements are property of Square Enix, and not me. Which is why I frequently cry myself to sleep.

----

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Three: Adverse Conditions

----

Claire was up early the next morning. She had not been able to sleep more than two or three hours, partly because her mind was filled with thoughts of a devastated and ruined Earth, and partly because she had never been able to sleep in strange surroundings. And this Desert Palace of Kuja's was without a doubt the strangest place she had ever seen.

Every hall and chamber she had thus far visited was beautiful, though curious and vaguely frightening. Fantastic statues of hideous gargoyles, gentle angels, fierce warrors, and wise-looking sages watched her from dark corners. And things would... _happen_, with no explanation as to how. Candles would light as she entered a room, and doors would close behind her. On one occasion, she could have sworn that a stone gargoyle had turned its head to watch her as she passed.

Kuja had assured her that she was completely safe, and that in any case they would be leaving for a place called Treno in a couple of days. Claire was eager to leave this creepy place.

Unable to lie in bed any longer, she swung her legs onto the cold marble floor and stood up, shivering in the long white nightshirt Kuja had given her to wear. She wasn't too thrilled about wandering around, but she was too restless to remain in her bedroom. Besides, it was just as eerie as the rest of the palace.

Creeping out into the hall, Claire padded softly past Kuja's room and down a twisting flight of stairs, trying to remember where the library was that he had shown her the night before. She seemed to recall that it was near the room with the circle of statues, where she had first arrived. But no, this was definitely not the way. She closed the door and began walking in the direction she had come - and then quickly turned back and yanked the door open.

In the middle of the dimly lit room beyond was a strange table, with straps that seemed to be made to restrain a person's arms and legs. More devices for torture lay strewn about, and sitting perched on the table, swinging its stubby little legs, was the weirdest, cutest creature Claire had ever seen. It was pale pink and furry, with a pair of tiny purple bat's wings and a big red pompom on its head that bobbed up and down. It seemed to be sleeping.

Walking slowly toward it, Claire reached out and lightly touched the creature's waggling pompom.

Its reaction was immediate. "Kupooo!" it shrieked, running around in circles on the table. "Kupo-kupo! Help, kupo!"

"Whoa, hey!" Claire cried, holding up her hands. This Gaia place was getting weirder and weirder. "Calm down, little guy! I didn't mean to scare you."

The creature stopped its mindless running and turned to face her. "Kupo? Who are you?" it asked, looking puzzled. "You're not Master Kuja, kupo."

"No," she said slowly. "My name is Claire. I'm a..." She stopped. Was she a friend of Kuja? "I know Kuja," she finished lamely.

"Oh, okay then, kupo." The little animal nodded. "My name's Mojito. Pleased to meet you, kupo!"

She wondered why it kept saying 'kupo', but she decided not to ask. She had a feeling there were a lot of things in this world she wouldn't understand. "So, what... are you, exactly?"

"Me, kupo? I'm a moogle," Mojito replied, its furry chest puffing out with pride. "You'll find moogles everywhere. Many of us moogles like to travel, but I like it here, kupo. I'll probably stay as long as Master Kuja lets me, kupo."

_I don't know how anyone could like it here_, Claire thought to herself with a shiver. She didn't even want to ponder over what this torture chamber was doing here. "Well, I'm glad you like it," she said. "Can you tell me what kind of a person Kuja is?"

The moogle looked away, suddenly uncomfortable. "I don't know, kupo. He seems like a good person, but he didn't used to be. I think Master Kuja is trying to forget a lot of things, kupo."

Claire frowned. "Like what?" she pressed.

"_Miss_ Giovannucci, that will do," came a sharp voice behind her. She whirled around guiltily to find Kuja standing in the doorway with his hands on his hips, his tail lashing in displeasure. "If you are through interrogating the resident moogle, I suggest you get ready. We'll be leaving soon."

"Today?" Claire blinked in surprise. "But I thought you said we weren't leaving for a couple of days."

He turned on his heel and hurried out of the room, the clunk-clunk of his boots echoing in the vast marble halls. Bidding a hasty good-bye to Mojito the moogle, Claire took off after him, struggling to catch up. "What's going on?" she asked, exasperated.

"A sandstorm is coming," was his terse reply. "In a few hours, the sky will be a literal blanket of sand. If we don't leave quickly, we'll be trapped here until it passes. And we don't have that kind of time."

Claire followed him uneasily as he stalked through the endless chambers and up the winding stairs which led to their bedrooms. He pointed to a door at the end of the hall. "You can wash up in there," he told her. "But be quick about it, and meet me downstairs when you're done."

"_Where_ downstairs?" she asked, frustrated. She didn't know where anything was in this marble labyrinth.

"The room with the teleporter, where we first arrived," he called over his shoulder as he sauntered off.

"Oh, yeah, like I'll be able to find that," she muttered, sticking her tongue out at his retreating back and swaying tail. Making quickly for her room to retrieve her clothes, she hurried to the end of the hall and opened the door. The room that met her eyes was undoubtedly the most beautiful in the entire palace. It was white marble, like the rest of the chambers, but at the far end of the room was a pool of clear water, with a cascading stream pouring into it from the mouth of a stone fish. Against one wall stood a huge round mirror, and under it was a table arrayed with dozens of little bottles and soaps.

Remembering that she was supposed to hurry, Claire quickly undressed and bathed in the pool, washing her hair with a purple bottle of something that made her hair as glossy as Kuja's. Once she had dried off, she threw on her clothes, along with some makeup from her purse - no harm in looking presentable - and dashed off in search of Kuja.

She located the room in less time than she expected, and found Kuja standing by the teleporter, putting on his cloak. As she came to join him, he picked up a long coat and tossed it to her. "Put that on," he ordered. "To keep out the sand."

Her brown eyes grew wide. "It's already started?"

"Yes."

Claire immediately drew the coat around her. It was tan and leather and lined with black fur, and reached past her knees. The sleeves were slashed at the elbows, and the tail was slit into four sections. It looked pretty dang good on her, and she considered asking him if she could keep it.

"Come," said Kuja, motioning to the teleporter. She sighed and stepped reluctantly onto the platform, wincing as she experienced the now-familiar sensation of nothingness, of the absence of sensation. As soon as she materialized on the other side, she jumped off instantly, and Kuja followed her. He whistled sharply, and there was an answering rumble as the silver dragon emerged from the darkness of the cavern.

Tying his long silver hair behind his head with a bit of leather cord, Kuja nodded to her. "Let's go."

----

The instant the dragon ascended out of the cavern and into the air, Claire could tell they had not left soon enough. The winds were already howling, blowing sand and dust into her face and making it difficult to see ahead of her. She craned her neck to look up at the sky. The clouds were almost black, churning tumultuously above her, and the rolling clap of thunder seemed frighteningly close.

Turning up her collar to block out the sand, Claire turned around toward Kuja, who was seated behind her. "How far is Treno?" she yelled above the wind.

"Pretty far," he shouted, shielding his eyes with his hand. "It's to the south, on the Mist Continent. But once we reach the ocean, we should be past the storm. That won't be long."

Claire ducked her head down, trying not to think about the sand that was getting into her just-washed hair. She was definitely glad to leave this place, but it made her wonder: if things like this sandstorm happened here, in one of the few places she had been on Gaia, what was it like on the rest of the planet?

Disinclined as Claire was to dwell on that topic, it brought up a new one in which she was interested. "Hey, Kuja," she shouted. "What part of Gaia are you from?"

He didn't reply, and she turned around again. "Hey, did you hear me? What part--"

"I'm not from Gaia," he said, returning her gaze. "I'm from a planet called Terra."

"Terra?" she echoed, taken aback. She had never even considered the existence of planets other than Gaia until now. "What's it like?" she asked.

For a long time Kuja was silent, and Claire thought he would answer. Finally he said in a low voice, made almost inaudible by the wind, "Terra is no more. It was destroyed."

Claire was stunned. "Oh my God," she said numbly. "I'm sorry." A thought occurred to her, and she looked at him carefully. "Is that why you're helping me?"

Again he hesitated. "Yes."

She turned around, deep in thought. She was very grateful to him; after all, she wouldn't even know that Earth was in danger if it hadn't been for him. But it always seemed like he was keeping something from her. And what was it that that little fuzzy dude, Mojito, had said? "I think Master Kuja is trying to forget a lot of things."

What did that mean?

Suddenly, before Claire had time to ponder any further, the silver dragon gave a deafening roar that she felt in her bones. She looked up, wondering what had disturbed the enormous beast, and then she saw what it was, a second too late. A huge, twisted piece of wood, borne aloft by the howling winds, was hurtling inexorably toward her.

"Claire, get down!" Kuja shouted.

She tried to duck, but she just wasn't quick enough. She felt the huge branch strike her on the side of the head, and for a moment she saw stars. And then... blackness.

And then the strangest feeling that she was weightless.

----

At first, she knew nothing. And then, an instant later, all she knew was pain. Cruel, merciless pain that washed over her in tidal waves of agony. It filled her consciousness, it _was_ her consciousness, until it overwhelmed her entire being, and she ceased to exist. She became pain.

And then, through the pain, she felt sun on her face.

She focused intently on that sensation, and gradually, the pain lessened. She became aware of her body, of the rise and fall of her chest as she laboriously drew air into her lungs. She became aware that she was lying on her back, on something soft and yielding. She smelled something sweet - the smell of grass.

Finally, she opened her eyes. She saw an intensely blue sky, dotted with puffy white clouds, and as she watched, a pair of birds flew across the expanse, trilling cheerfully. She thought idly that it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

And then she saw Kuja, and quickly revised her opinion.

"Claire," he said, leaning over her, his hair falling into his face. "Thank goodness. I was beginning to think you wouldn't wake up."

She blinked slowly, trying to keep his face in focus. "Kuja," she mumbled weakly, then repeated it. She found she thoroughly enjoyed saying his name. "What happened? I don't remember..."

"That branch hit you," he explained, and it sounded vaguely familiar. "It knocked you off, but I cast a Float spell on you. It gave Silver Dragon enough time to come up underneath you. You're very lucky."

Claire's head hurt too much for her to wonder what a Float spell was, but one thought kept echoing through her mind: _I almost died_. She stared up at Kuja, and a rush of gratitude swept over her. "You saved my life," she said breathlessly.

He arched a fair eyebrow as he considered this. "Yes, I suppose I did," he answered in surprise.

Holding her breath in, Claire sat up, and immediately she was overwhelmed with nausea. "Now don't try to get up," Kuja warned her, attempting to push her back down, but she shook her head, clenching her teeth as she waited for her head to stop spinning. Finally the nausea passed, and she took a shaky breath. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Claire stared at him, unable to tear her eyes off of him. His hair was a mess, his eyes were bloodshot, and his pale skin was raw from getting blasted with sand. But even so, he was a stunner.

"You saved my life," she repeated in an unsteady voice. "I can't thank you enough."

He shrugged, looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable. "I wouldn't think too much of it, if I were you," he said awkwardly. "After all, it was my fault. If you hadn't been with me, you wouldn't have been injured at all."

She shook her head, wincing in pain as she did so. "At least I'm better off than I would be in Conde Petie," she replied. "I think the dwarves wanted to hook me up with that William guy." She smiled weakly at him. "I'm glad you kidnapped me, Kuja."

His cheeks reddened a few shades in embarrassment, and he shrugged again dismissively. "Come, Treno isn't far away," he said, getting to his feet.

Claire tried to stand up, and crumpled back down to the ground as another wave of dizziness hit her. Taking her hand, Kuja pulled her up and offered his shoulder for her to lean against. "Really? We've come that far?" She looked to the south and saw the sky beginning to darken. "Have I been unconscious that long?" she asked in disbelief.

"No; only for about four or five hours," he replied.

"Then why is the sun already setting?"

"It's not." She looked up at him, baffled, and he explained, "Because of the area's unique geological characteristics, Treno exists in a constant state of nightfall. It's always dark, no matter the hour."

Claire frowned. "How is that possible?"

"Though it pains me to admit it, my canary, I don't have all the answers. But be on your guard every second we're there; the perpetual darkness makes Treno an ideal environment for muggers and pickpockets."

"Terrific," she muttered.

Raising his fingers to his lips, Kuja gave a sharp whistle, and Claire heard the silver dragon roar its reply somewhere surprisingly close. Then she saw it emerge from a nearby grove of trees and come forward, padding as softly as a cat. Claire felt a rising panic as its massive head came toward her, but it nudged her arm gently, growling something like a question.

"Yes, she's all right," Kuja told it, and smirked at Claire in amusement. "Silver Dragon was worried about you."

Claire looked at the fearsome-looking beast in surprise. "Really?" Tentatively, she reached out and patted its massive head. "Well, thank you for your concern," she told it. It rumbled contentedly. She turned back to Kuja. "So where exactly are we?"

"The Bentini Heights, if I'm not mistaken," he answered. "Treno should be just across this field." He pointed past the grassy plain into the advancing darkness to the south. "Silver Dragon shall stay here. We wouldn't want him to alarm the sensitive nobles," he explained dryly.

Releasing her grip on his shoulder, Claire wobbled a bit but maintained her balance. "You know, you still haven't told me _why_ we're going to Treno," she pointed out. "What help could we possibly find in a city of thieves and rich snobs?"

When Kuja replied, it was as if he spoke to himself. "We are going to ask the help of a man who has no reason to give it."

"Uh-huh," Claire said sourly, wishing he would stop speaking in riddles. "Well, you go have fun playing Mission: Impossible. I'll just stay here with Silver Dragon."

"Come on," he commanded, taking her brusquely by the arm, and together they set out toward the city of perpetual night.

----

A/N: Yay, finished! And I can't wait for you to read the next chapter, when they finally get to Treno. I, for one, have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of my newest cast member. He's not an original character, but you'll recognize him fairly quickly. In the meantime, leave me a review and tell me what you thought of chapter three. 


	4. Creatures of Darkness

A/N: I'm back! Be cool, my babies! Oww! Ahem, sorry, that was my Conan O'Brien moment. Anyway, thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. You're the best! Well, here it is as I promised, chapter four. You know, Treno was always one of my favorite places in FFIX, besides Daguerreo. It's so purty, and the fact that it's always night is just awesome.So I've tried to capture its general air in this chapter. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy IX, nor do I own any of its characters, locations, or elements. They belong to Squaresoft, or Square Enix, or whatever the heck they call themselves at the moment.

---

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Four: Creatures of Darkness

---

The first thing that struck Claire about Treno was the beauty of the architecture in the more affluent parts of the city. All the buildings were exquisitely designed, and though they looked old, there was no sign of wear on a single one of them. Mansion, shop, and restaurant alike all appeared to be fit for, well, a noble.

The second thing that struck her was the total absence of law enforcement. Obvious criminals prowled the darkened streets, and every guard Claire saw was either asleep or clearly disgruntled about being there. The wealthy people walked about in groups, with fear lurking in the back of their eyes. It didn't take long for Claire to realize that Treno wasn't quite the picturesque town it seemed to be.

"Keep close to me," Kuja ordered as they walked on the cobbled streets through the crowds of well-dressed aristocrats and seedy rogues. "It would not be well for us if you got yourself dragged off by some miscreant."

"You mean, again?" she asked sarcastically. He glared at her from under his hood, and she grinned nervously. "Just kidding." He growled irritably, and she quickly changed the subject. "So who is this guy we're asking for help, who has no reason to help us?"

"We're not going to look for him just yet," he replied, being careful to keep his face hidden. "First, we must get you some different clothes. I'm sure what you're wearing is fashionable on your planet, but here you rather look like a mental deficient."

"Hey!" she exclaimed indignantly. "I got these pants at Bloomingdale's! Besides, it's not like I plan to stay on this planet for very long. What do I care if I look out of place?"

Kuja stopped abruptly in the middle of the street, causing a number of people to grumble angrily as they had to skirt around. "Indeed, little bird?" he said flatly. "You don't care if you look out of place? You don't care if people start to wonder who we are, and start asking questions? You don't care if someone finds out what we're doing, or where you're really from?"

"Okay, I get it," Claire said, rolling her eyes. "But while we're on the subject of looking out of place, what about you, in that Grim Reaper get-up? Don't think people aren't looking at you, and wondering why you won't show your face."

"I have to wear it," he replied elusively. "You don't."

She sighed wearily and looked up at him. "Why don't you want anyone seeing you, anyway?"

For a long time Kuja said nothing. For one brief moment he looked like he was about to answer, but finally he shook his head. "Just drop it," he said quietly, and resumed walking. Claire sighed again and hurried after him.

In the shadows under a nearby building, a pair of glittering golden eyes followed Claire's retreating back as she disappeared into the crowd. "Hello, gorgeous," the eyes' owner said under his breath, and he grinned lasciviously, running one of his four hands through his flame-red hair.

---

"Ta-daaa!" Claire announced as she drew back the curtain of the changing booth. She was wearing a yellow, sleeveless blouse trimmed with lace under an orange sweater that hung off her shoulders and stopped above her midriff. Her tight trousers were green and ended below the knee, and she wore a pair of short brown boots lashed together with leather cord.

She did an elaborate spin for Kuja, who leaned inconspicuously, or at least what he thought was inconspicuously, against the wall in the clothing shop. "How do I look?" she asked expectantly.

He pushed off from the wall and examined her for a long time. Finally he cleared his throat. "It'll do," he said in a tight voice.

"It'll do?" Claire repeated, her hands on her hips. "Geez, Kuja, you're such a man!"

"Quiet down," he hissed, grabbing her arm and looking around the shop anxiously. "Stop calling attention to us, and _don't_ say my name in public, understand?"

She snorted. "Why? Is it illegal? Is it forbidden?" He groaned in exasperation. "Is it... _taboo?_" she pressed, grinning mischievously.

He held out the tan leather coat she had been wearing, and she pulled it on. "Come on," he said impatiently, dropping a handful of coins on the counter in front of the merchant and herding her out of the shop.

"You know, would it really kill you to be _nice_ once in a while?" she asked as they stepped out into the street. "You'd make a lot more friends if you weren't such a grouch."

"I don't need friends," Kuja said tersely, assimilating their surroundings with a critical eye. They were in an infrequently visited part of the city, and the street was almost devoid of people.

"Sure you do," Claire was saying. "Everybody needs companionship. It makes them whole. That's why you're so screwed up, because you live all alone in that creepy palace, with no one to keep you company but that little mooble."

"Moogle," he corrected absently.

"Whatever. Anyway, you need friends; whether you think you do or not isn't important. Maybe I could teach you to be less stand-offish, and more - AAAGHHH!"

Two strong arms had suddenly grabbed her around the waist, and another one tightened around her neck. There was a flash of metal as a short dagger was held up to her throat. Wait a minute; that made four arms. That couldn't be right.

"Don't try to struggle, sweetheart," a hoarse, throaty voice said in her ear as he snatched her purse out of her grasp. "I'm not gonna hurt you... unless your boyfriend over there doesn't hand over all his gil."

"Help me, please," Claire whimpered in a high, frantic voice.

Instead of rushing to her rescue, Kuja sighed and tapped his foot impatiently. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked her attacker.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm muggin' you," the four-armed young man replied. "Now gimme all your money, or the cutie gets it in the neck."

"Please don't," she begged.

"Don't worry, honey," the mugger told her with a syrupy sweetness. "As long as your boyfriend cares about you, you're not in any danger."

"He is not my boyfriend, you retard!" she shouted indignantly, trying to wrench herself from his grasp.

His arms tightened painfully around her. "You know, you've got a smart mouth," he snapped. "If you don't watch it, it could get you in trouble."

"Oh, please," Kuja said in disgust. "Could your threats get any more contrived?"

"What are you doing?" Claire hissed at him. "Just give him what he wants! Don't make him mad!"

"Contrived?" the four-armed man repeated, insulted. "Aw, that's it, man, I don't even care about the money anymore! It's go time, you and me, right now!"

In a flash, the man was torn off of Claire, and she was sprawled on the ground, coughing. She looked up and saw Kuja holding her assailant up by the front of his shirt. His hood was drawn back, and his icy blue eyes were glowing dangerously. The four-armed man was quaking in terror.

"Now look here, you filthy little mosquito," Kuja said in a low, menacing voice. "You are just one feeble threat away from getting turned into a blazer beetle, so I suggest you either make it a _really_ good one, or leave us alone. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"K-Kuja," the young man stuttered, dropping her purse on the ground. "Th-They said you were d-dead..."

"Well, I'm not. And if anyone finds out, I'll know who told them. So keep it to yourself, if you value your life." With that Kuja threw him on the ground, and the man scrambled to his feet and took off running. Kuja turned to Claire, took her by the hand, and helped her up. "Are you all right?" he asked.

She yanked her hand out of his and picked up her purse, staring up at him. "Why was that guy so afraid of you?" she demanded. "How did he know your name?" She shook her head in frustration. "Kuja, who _are_ you?"

He looked away from her. "Let it suffice to say that I... I've done things I'm not proud of, and I'm trying to forget them. At any rate, I'm not that person anymore." Suddenly he turned back to her and looked at her almost challengingly. "Does it really matter who I was, if I'm trying my best to be someone better?"

His eyes dared her to disagree, but she refused to be intimidated. "Trying your best?" Claire repeated in disbelief. "You looked like you were about to kill that guy! I wouldn't exactly call that 'trying your best'."

There was a long silence as Kuja slowly drew on his hood. Then he answered in a low voice, "I saved you, didn't I?"

Claire felt a lump form in her throat, and she regretted her harsh words. Kuja silently took her arm, and they continued on their way down the dark street. "Don't leave my side again, understand?" he said quietly.

She nodded, and they walked in silence for some time. "Sorry," she finally whispered.

---

"Daguerreo technically isn't a city, but a gigantic library," Kuja told Claire as they walked along the dark water. "It holds Gaia's largest collection of rare and ancient books. It sits in a cave behind a waterfall on Sacrobless Island, and everything is powered by water. The people who live there believe it to be protected by the legendary sea-serpent Leviathan."

"Sounds awesome," Claire said, keeping close to his side and watching obsessively for anyone who might be following them. "If we had more time, I'd like to see it."

"Few people know about it," he replied. "But it's quite beautiful. I'm sure you'd like it." They came to a halt for a moment as he looked around. "Ah, here we are." He pointed to a tall, round building with a domed roof that stood nearby across a small canal.

"So that's where Mr. No-Reason-to-Help-Us lives?" she asked.

"Precisely," he answered, ignoring her sarcasm. He led her toward a little bridge that crossed the canal, but stopped her suddenly, his whole body stiffening. "I don't believe it," he muttered.

A familiar, four-armed figure sat on the doorstep of the domed building, spinning his dagger slowly in two of his hands. "Believe it, man," he said cheerfully, getting to his feet. "Did you think I was going to let you get away that easily?"

Kuja's fist clenched until his knuckles were bone-white. "You've been following us?" he asked incredulously.

"Yup!" The man sauntered over to the bridge and jumped spryly onto the railing. Now that she wasn't being held hostage by him, Claire could take in his features. He had a mop of fire-red hair, luminous golden eyes made exotic with black liner - or _kohl_, as it was called in the Middle Eastern countries of her planet - a small soul patch on his chin, and an easy, if devious, smile. He wore two little silver hoops in his left ear, and across his right cheek ran a thin scar. He could have been attractive, if it weren't for the unfortunate fact that he had four arms.

"See," he was saying, "it occurred to me - how you doin', sweetheart?" He winked roguishly at Claire. "It occurred to me that since I know who you are, I could easily use that knowledge to my advantage. For instance..." He grinned wickedly. "I could tell the authorities that you're alive and have you arrested. Probably executed in the worst imaginable way. Unless you conformed to my terms, that is."

"Or I could kill you," Kuja suggested.

"Kuja!" Claire exclaimed angrily. She turned to the four-armed man. "So you're blackmailing him, is that it?"

He inhaled through his teeth. "Ooh, 'blackmail' is such an... accurate word," he said, scratching his head of wild red hair. "But I don't like that word. I prefer 'extortion'. It sounds cooler."

"And what are your terms?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Trifling," the young man replied assuringly. "At least for now. Just take me as far as Alexandria. We'll see how I feel after that."

"Alexandria?" Claire repeated. "Where's that?"

The redhead looked at her in disbelief. "You're kiddin', right?" he said. "You got a screw loose? It's only--"

"It's a kingdom to the north," Kuja interrupted. He glared venomously at the four-armed man. "Very well. I have business in Alexandria, and you may travel with us. But if you even _breathe_ a word to anyone--"

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed," he told him. "Not that you're in a position to make any demands." He jumped off the railing and bowed ceremoniously. "It's a pleasure doin' business with you."

Kuja shoved him roughly aside, and Claire followed. The four-armed man quickly regained his composure and hurried after her. "So, uhh, you got a name?" he asked huskily.

She suppressed the urge to punch him. "Claire."

He repeated it slowly, caressing every letter. "I like it. Very sultry. And you, my dear Claire, can call me Alleyway Jack."

"Alleyway Jack?" She snorted. "Now there's an obviously made-up name if I ever heard one."

"Yes, well..." He cleared his throat. "I never _said_ my name was Jack; I just said you can _call_ me Jack." She rolled her eyes, and he eased up alongside her. "Anyway, you said Mr. Sunshine over there wasn't your boyfriend. Does that mean you're single?"

"Barf," Claire deadpanned.

"Quiet, both of you," Kuja snapped as they stepped up to the front door. He rapped on it with his knuckles, and they could hear the sound echoing in the vast space inside.

"Just a moment!" called a voice somewhere far above them. There was the sound of shuffling feet, and after an eternity had passed, the door was opened by a strange little man with thick eyeglasses, a pointy beard, and a preposterously large nose. "May I help you?" he asked politely in a nasal voice.

Kuja drew back his hood. "Doctor Tot, I--"

The man slammed the door violently shut.

All three of them stood in silence for a moment.

"That could've gone better," said Jack.

---

A/N: Oh, that Jack! Yep, it's Alleyway Jack, better known as the Four-armed Man in FFIX. I always wished he was in the game more, because he's freaking hilarious. The way he steals gil from Dagger, or when he tried to kidnap Eiko, then freaked out when he saw she was with Amarant. As you can see, I took some liberties with his appearance. He does have the scar and the soul patch thingy, but I kind of made up the golden eyes and the eyeliner. I think they give him character. Anyway, drop me a review before you go, please! Tell me what you think of Master Jacky.

Wakizashi


	5. I Object!

A/N: Chapter five, yay! Lots of thanks to everyone who reviewed. And to Steeple333, yes, Jack _was_ in the beginning of the game, now that you mention it! Totally, because if you ask him (as Vivi) if he's Alleyway Jack, he takes you to the tavern and teaches you how to play Tetra Master. Thanks for reminding me! Good on you! _Anyway_, enough of my blathering. On to chapter five.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuja, Doctor Tot, the Four-Armed Man (or Alleyway Jack, as he's also known), or any other characters I may borrow. Technically, I own Claire, but other than that, everything else I'm using is on loan from Square Enix.

---

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Five: I Object!

---

"He didn't look too pleased to see you," Jack pointed out astutely. Kuja shot him an irritated glance, and he held up two of his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm just sayin'. What do you need with Four-Eyes, anyway?"

Kuja's jaw tightened. "He has information that we need," he replied simply.

"We?" Jack blinked. "Ohh, you mean you and Claire." He snaked an arm around Claire's shoulder, and she flung it off distastefully. "And what'd you call him? Doctor Tot?" He frowned. "You didn't knock her up, did you?"

Kuja slid his eyes shut. "I'm already regretting not killing you," he said wearily.

"So why don't you just break the door down?" asked Jack, oblivious to Kuja's quickly shortening temper. "If you need to talk to him, don't take no for an answer. That's what I do."

"Obviously," Claire said dryly. "But he does have a point, Kuja. We came all this way to talk to this guy. We can't just give up because he doesn't want to see us." She pounded on the door with her fists, causing a group of birds nearby to flutter off. "Doctor Tot!" she shouted. "Please, let us talk to you! We need your help!"

"Ooh, _baby_, she don't take nothin' from nobody," said Jack with a grin, folding two of his arms over his chest. "Mmm! I could really fall for a girl like that."

"It just occurred to me how very close to the water you're standing," Kuja observed calmly. "One slight push is all it would take."

"All right, all right." He inched slowly away from the ledge. "Sheesh."

"Doctor Tot!" Claire yelled, banging on the door. "_Please_, just listen! It's very important!"

The door abruptly swung open, and she nearly fell through. The little bespectacled man looked up at them coolly. "You have ten seconds to vacate my property, and then I am going to alert the authorities to your presence," he said.

"No, please don't," Claire replied beseechingly. "Please, just give us five minutes, and then if you still want us to leave, we'll never bother you again."

Doctor Tot peered mistrustfully up at her through his glasses. "My dear young lady," he said, sounding indescribably tired, "if you can give me one good reason why I should let _that man_ into my home--" He pointed accusingly at Kuja. "Then I will listen to you."

Claire turned to Kuja, looking for inspiration, and he shook his head hopelessly. "Because..." She bit her lip and turned back to Tot. "Because he saved my life. Twice."

"He did?" Tot raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Kuja?"

She nodded. "First in a sandstorm, and then when I was attacked by a mugger." She shot a glare at Jack, who smiled sheepishly.

Tot gazed up at her for a long moment, deliberately not looking at Kuja. Finally his shoulders sagged, and he stepped back to allow them inside. "Five minutes."

"Thank you," she said in relief. They stepped into the foyer and followed the little man as he began to climb up a long set of winding stairs. As Kuja fell into step beside Claire, he slipped his hand tentatively into hers.

---

They reached the top of the stairs and found themselves in a cavernous observatory, and in the middle of the room was a giant globe of Gaia. There was a gaping hole in the side of it, and inside was placed a telescope. Countless books lay scattered everywhere, all dog-eared and well-thumbed. Jack looked around, his restless, _kohl_-rimmed eyes taking in any objects that might be worth stealing.

Doctor Tot pulled up a long workbench for Claire to sit on, and she thanked him. Kuja sat down beside her, and Jack, having nowhere to sit, sighed and took up his place in a corner.

"Now," Tot prompted, adjusting his glasses. "What was so important that it justified nearly breaking down my door?"

"Maybe I should talk," Claire said to Kuja, and he nodded. She took a deep breath. "My name is Claire Giovannucci," she said slowly, "and I'm from another planet."

Jack's head shot up. "Say _what?_"

"I... beg your pardon?" Tot asked, flustered.

"I know that sounds crazy," Claire continued, "but it's the absolute truth. I'm from a planet called Earth, and through some force I don't understand, I was brought to Gaia. I met Kuja on the Outer Continent, and he told me that he had heard of Earth. He said..." She swallowed hard and tried again. "He said that it was destroyed long ago by a madman, in the year 2006 by our calendar. And when I left Earth, it was already 2005."

"Man," Jack said softly, shaking his head. "That's some serious stuff."

There was a silence as Doctor Tot processed this information.

"We came to you because Kuja thought you might know a way to get back to Earth," said Claire. "We have to stop this man, whoever he is, before he destroys my planet and everyone in it." She took another deep breath. "Will you please help us?"

Tot still said nothing.

"Hey, buddy, you're takin' up our five minutes," Jack pointed out.

"It is true that there was once a planet called Earth," Tot said suddenly. "But anyone could easily obtain that information, as long as he knew where to look. How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Claire stood up and opened her purse, digging around in it. "If you know all about Earth, then you'll know that we're technologically advanced." She pulled out her cell phone and handed it to him. "See for yourself."

The little scholar held the object up to his face, astonished. He adjusted his glasses again. "What is it?" he asked, looking at it more closely.

"A cellular telephone," she replied. "When I'm on Earth, I can use it to talk to anyone else who has one. Anyone on the entire planet."

Jack's eyes glittered covetously. "Wonder how much I could get at the auction house for that thing." A quick glare from Kuja shut him up.

"Look, you can ask me anything about Earth," Claire persisted. "I live there, so I should know all about it."

Tot shook his head. "That won't be necessary," he said, his eyes still glued to the cell phone. "No one on Gaia could ever invent something as technologically sophisticated as this." He handed it back to her, and she put it back in her purse, keeping a careful eye on Jack. "Somehow, I feel that you are telling the truth."

Kuja blinked in surprise. "Does that mean you will help us?"

Tot stared at him disdainfully for a moment, then directed his response to Claire. "However, just because I believe what you are telling me, that doesn't mean I've agreed to assist you." Claire opened her mouth to protest, but he shook his head. "Think of what you are asking, my dear. You are proposing that I aid _this man_, who has already proven himself to be a dangerous fiend on _this_ planet, in reaching another planet where he might do even more harm. Why would I wish to be responsible for such a thing?"

_A dangerous fiend,_ Claire thought, gazing at the man sitting beside her. She sighed in frustration. "I don't know what Kuja did to make everyone hate him so much," she said quietly, almost to herself. "And honestly, I don't care if I ever find out. All I know is, he's helped me come all this way. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even know Earth was in any danger. He didn't have to help me. But he did." She smiled slightly at him. "Even if he's not the friendliest person around, I can tell he's sincere."

A shadow of a smile touched the corners of Kuja's lips.

In his corner, Jack snorted. "How touching," he muttered. "The angel and the demon."

"Oh, shut up!" Claire snapped in annoyance. "You don't have to be here, you know. You're free to _leave_ any time, if you get my drift."

Doctor Tot began pacing the observatory, shaking his head. "One does not simply tamper with the past," he said darkly. "Even if you succeed in preventing Earth from being destroyed, you would be changing the course of history. Perhaps your planet was meant to suffer this tragedy. It is not up to us to alter the past."

"But the past is _my_ present!" Claire cried desperately. She rose to her feet and faced the doctor. "Those people on Earth... They're not _just_ people. They're mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters. They're elderly people, they're _children_. They're my family and friends! I can't just let them all die!"

Tot sighed. "Miss Giovannucci--"

"No, let me finish!" She pulled her wallet out of her purse and flipped it open. "Those are my parents," she said, pointing to one of the pictures. "Their names are Stan and Marcie. My dad likes to go fishing with his co-workers every year, and my mom makes the best pasta on the east coast." She flipped forward. "This is my little brother Richie. He's only eleven, but he's gonna grow up to be a firefighter. Look at him!" Tears pricked her eyes, and she blinked them quickly back. "This is my _family!_ Are you going to make me turn my back on my family?"

There was a long silence. Claire felt her heart pounding in her chest as Tot stared up at her. Kuja looked down at his boots, and even Jack didn't dare to speak.

Finally Tot spoke. "Of course not," he said softly. "I would never do that."

"Then..." Claire swallowed. "Then you'll help us?"

He smiled. "I will help you."

Claire found herself laughing uncontrollably in pure relief. She bent down and hugged the little scholar, crying "Thank you, thank you!" over and over again. By this time Kuja was on his feet, and she embraced him tightly as well. Flushing in embarrassment, he patted her back awkwardly.

She felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned around to see Jack standing with all his arms spread wide. "Well?" he said, his eyebrows raised in expectation. "What about me?"

Rolling her eyes, she took one of his hands and shook it politely. "Shot down," he said mournfully, hanging his head.

---

"Years ago," began Tot as he walked across the catwalk that circled the giant broken globe, "back when I was tutoring Queen Garnet, I discovered a book in the libraries of Alexandria Castle." They watched from below as he stepped inside the globe and started rummaging around. "Among other things, this book told of an island in the ocean between the Outer and the Lost Continents. It was said to be inhabited by vicious monsters, and it was very rare for someone to make it back alive."

"I already don't like the sound of it," Claire muttered under her breath.

"The author claimed to have visited this island with a colleague, and said it was rather large," Tot continued. "It had a forest, and a tall mountain. His colleague, unfortunately, did not return, but--"

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Jack interrupted, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're not talkin' about _Vile_ Island, are you?" There was a distinct tone of dread in his hoarse, scratchy voice.

Tot emerged from inside the globe and blinked owlishly through his glasses. "Why, yes, I believe that was the name," he replied. "But how did you know that, young man?"

Jack folded two of his arms. "Hey, I'm not as stupid as you think," he said defensively. "I've been all over Gaia. I've heard lots of stories. I know _all_ about Vile Island. I know all about the flesh-eatin' beasts that live there, and how impossible they are to kill. Anyone crazy enough to go there _deserves_ to die, and rid the world of their idiocy."

"I'm sure what you say is true," said Tot thoughtfully, resuming his search. "But there was something about this island that attracted the author's attention. Ah, there you are." He came out of the globe, carrying a book under his arm, and climbed down the ladder. "You see, the author was an expert on the subject of portals and gateways. In fact, his theory that the Shimmering Island near the Lost Continent was a portal to another realm proved to be correct, if I'm not mistaken." He cast a quick glance at Kuja. "But as I was saying, the author also believed there was a portal to another planet on Vile Island."

Claire swallowed. "And you think that this portal on this... monster-infested island might lead to Earth?" she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

He held up the book for her, and she read the title aloud. "'Some Observations on the Existence of Unknown Planets'."

"The author speaks of a legend told by wise men of Esto Gaza, that tells of a portal to a planet filled with strange machines and tall buildings," said Tot, reading from a passage. "A portal at the base of a high mountain, guarded by fearsome creatures. That sounds a great deal like our Vile Island, does it not?"

"Strange machines and tall buildings," Claire repeated with a shiver. "That sounds a great deal like Earth, too."

Jack waved his arms wildly in objection. "B-But, y-you're not," he stuttered, "you're not seriously considerin' _goin'_ to this death hole, are you? You'd have to be insane!"

Claire turned to him, her hands on her hips. "What else do you suggest, genius?" she asked impatiently. "If we don't at least give it a try, how else are we going to get back to my planet in time to save it? We don't have any other options."

"Hey, what's with this _'we'?_" he said in a high, strained voice. "I never said I was goin' with you guys! You want to get yourself killed, that's your problem. I don't want anything to do with this hare-brained plan."

Kuja turned his icy eyes on the redhead. "Do you recall either of us saying we wanted your company in the first place?" he asked coldly. "The only reason you're with us at all is because you're blackmailing me into taking you to Alexandria. Once we get there, I couldn't care less what you do. You can throw yourself into the harbor, as far as I'm concerned."

"There's no need to be snippy," Jack said obstinately. "I may be blackmailin' you, but at least I don't talk to you like that. In fact, I haven't done anything to make you act like such a jerk."

Claire sighed irritably. "Come on, you guys..."

"Oh, no?" Kuja's pale eyebrows shot up incredulously. "If I remember correctly, we made your acquaintance when you held us up and threatened to slit Claire's throat. So forgive me if you are not my favorite person at the moment."

"Hey, how was I supposed to know who you were, or where she was from, or why you guys were in Treno?" Jack retorted defensively. "I'm not telepathic. Besides, that's all in the past. I thought that was what you wanted; to put bad memories behind you." He smiled innocently. "Or do you want Claire to know the truth about you?"

Kuja's eyes flashed dangerously. "Mark my words, you little insect--"

"Knock it off, both of you!" Claire shouted. They turned to her, surprised. "Every second you keep fighting like a couple of children is one more second wasted!"

The two glared at each other, but both fell silent.

Claire turned to Doctor Tot, who had watched the argument with raised eyebrows. "Doctor, I can't thank you enough for your help," she said. "But this Vile Island... It isn't sounding too good to me. I mean, I've never even gone hunting in my life. How am I going to defend myself against the most vicious monsters on this planet?"

"I will teach you," Kuja said simply.

"You will?" she said, taken aback. She looked at him skeptically. "I don't know if that'll work. I mean... look at me. I'm just barely five feet tall, and about as big around as a stick of spaghetti. I'm not strong enough."

"Then I will train you in battle until you _are_ strong enough," he persisted. "True strength has nothing to do with physical prowess. And in time, you will see that you have a strength inside you that you never knew you had."

"But..." She swallowed uneasily. "What if I don't?"

In response, Kuja took her hand in his. "Then I shall protect you," he said earnestly.

Jack snorted disdainfully, but said nothing.

Tot turned toward Kuja, his eyes solemn behind his thick glasses. "See that you do," he said quietly.

---

A/N: Well, there you have it. Vile Island. I myself have been there only twice – once just to see what it was, and the second time to find the last Friendly Monster. I'm pretty sure I nearly died both times. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. It was fun to write, especially the parts with Kuja and Jack bickering. Oh! Before I forget, I drew Jack! I _would_ give you the link, but a certain website won't let me paste it here. (this one) So if you want to see it, just e-mail me, and I'll be happy to give you the link. And while you're there, if you happened to leave me a comment, I would be ever so happy. Meanwhile, off I go to work on chapter six. Don't forget to review!

-Wakizashi


	6. Cupid's Arrows

A/N: Chapter six, fwee! Lots and lots of thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. Reviews keep me alive. And Rappy28/Twilidra, it's funny you should mention yans, because... well, you'll see. In about ten chapters or so. Ha! Okay, enough of my blatherings. I'm sure you just want to read this already.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Final Fantasy IX' or any of its characters. Any songs or references to other things belong to the people who own them. Obviously.

---

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Six: Cupid's Arrows

---

After the sandstorm, running into Jack, convincing Doctor Tot to help them, and persuading him to let them stay the night at his house, trying to find a weapon shop in Treno was the least difficult part of Kuja and Claire's journey so far. They were literally everywhere. The only problem was that Claire had no idea which weapon would suit her best. The spears, broadswords, and axes looked far too heavy for her, but the staffs and rackets seemed like they would be ineffectual in battle. And some of the weapons, like the flutes and forks, looked to Claire like they weren't meant to be weapons at all. Nevertheless, Kuja refused to leave Treno until she selected one.

"Why do I need a weapon, anyway?" she asked him impatiently in her strange New York accent as they stood inside a synthesist shop. "_You_ don't have a weapon."

"That is because I don't need one," he answered absently, examining a display of claws. He debated whether a pair of Cat's Claws would be suitable for her, but decided she didn't possess the physical force necessary to inflict enough damage with them.

Claire stared at him in shock. "You _don't_ need a weapon?" she repeated, dumbfounded. "How the heck do you fight without a weapon?"

"Ah, such innocence," sighed Jack, who was swinging his own curved sword experimentally.

"I fight with magic, of course," said Kuja, turning to her. "Surely you have noticed, little bird, that I have quite an assortment of spells in my arsenal. Each spell has its own specific purpose. Nearly everyone on Gaia has some amount of magic dwelling inside them. But since you are from Earth, it remains to be seen whether or not the same is true of you. Thus, you require a weapon."

Claire raised a dark eyebrow at him. "I think you have a fixation with birds."

She looked as though she understood, at least enough to get by, so he returned his attention to the array of weapons. Claire was definitely strong enough to use a staff or a racket, but they were primarily for people who relied on magic. She might be able to use a dagger, he reflected, but again, would she have the necessary force?

A dagger...

---

"Dagger," the boy groaned, his tail twitching in pain. "Dagger, don't go. I need you... Dagger..."

Kuja Tribal knelt beside him, wiping the blood from his wounds with the sleeve he had torn off his own shirt. The boy was unconscious, but his face was troubled, and he ranted and raved in his delirium. It was still not clear if Kuja could save him.

As the Iifa Tree had been caving in on itself, Kuja had resigned himself to death. There was nothing left for him; death was an appropriate reward for all he had done. With total chaos crashing down around him, he had closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

And then the irrational one had showed up.

"Hey!" came a sudden voice, surprisingly close and unnecessarily loud. "Are you alright?"

Bewildered, Kuja opened his eyes to see a boy of about sixteen, with shaggy blond hair and a long tawny tail, standing across a short gap from him. "Zidane...?" he said weakly as the boy jumped across and stood next to him. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to go..."

Zidane shrugged indifferently. "Wouldn't you do the same for me if you knew I was dying?" he asked. Kuja thought about it, and had to admit to himself that he probably wouldn't. Zidane shook his head and sat down at his side. "...Never mind."

Kuja was silent for a while, staring up with dull eyes. "Your comrades were able to escape?" he finally asked.

"Yeah..." Zidane nodded. "I knew you had something to do with it."

He felt something foreign to him at that moment, and realized that it was relief. "...I'm glad they made it," he said softly.

"Yeah, well..." The boy brushed it off casually and changed the subject. "It's our turn to get movin'."

Kuja closed his eyes for a moment as a wave of pain swept over him, threatening to render him unconscious. Once it had passed, he spoke. "...I don't deserve to live after all I've done," he said bleakly. "I'm useless to this world."

"No one's useless," Zidane countered with another shrug. "You helped us escape, remember?"

Zidane. Always so positive. In a bizarre way, Kuja was proud of him. Proud that he had become more than what he had been designed for. But he didn't understand. He wasn't the one who had grown up on Terra, who had been trained to do nothing but destroy. It was the only existence Kuja had known. And Zidane had escaped it.

"After you guys beat me," Kuja found himself saying, "I had nothing left... nothing more to lose. Then, I finally realized what it means to live..." He sighed, overwhelmingly tired. Tired of living. "I guess I was too late."

Another surge of pain flooded his senses, and his vision grew a foggy gray at the edges. _This is it,_ he thought with a dreary acceptance as his eyes slipped shut. His head drooped to one side, and as the world fell away, he heard Zidane shouting, as if from miles away:

"Hey! Don't you go dying on me, alright?"

But he hadn't died. Zidane had carried him, unconscious, out of the collapsing ruins of the Iifa Tree. When Kuja again opened his eyes, he saw the endless expanse of sky above him, clear and blue and beautiful. And beside him, out cold from his injuries and from pure exhaustion, lay his brother.

Kuja had had only enough magic left in him to perform one Cure spell, and he used it on Zidane without hesitation. The boy had sustained a massive blow to his head, and there were countless cuts and bruises on his limbs. Carefully cleaning his wounds, Kuja watched as Zidane tossed and mumbled fitfully, and he waited, and he prayed.

"Dagger... Where are you...?"

---

"Kuja? Are you okay?"

He shook himself out of his thoughts to see Claire staring up at him under his hood, a concerned expression on her delicate little face. "Yes," he said hastily, forgetting at the moment that she had called him by his name in public. "I was just... lost in thought."

"Unfamiliar territory, eh?" Jack asked sarcastically.

Kuja restrained himself from casting Flare Star on the four-armed nuisance and went back to surveying the weapons. Suddenly his eyes fell upon a bow made of blond wood, propped up against a quiver of arrows. He picked it up and hefted it; it was sturdy, but light enough for a smaller person to wield. "Claire," he said, holding it out to her.

She looked at it for a moment, then took it from him slowly. "A bow?" she said uncertainly. "I've never used a bow before. I've never even held one."

He turned to the synthesist. "Is there any way we could test this weapon out?"

"Of course," the man said politely. "There is a practicing range behind the shop, through the door in the back."

Picking up the quiver, Kuja stepped behind the counter and through the back door, gesturing for Claire to follow him. Jack trailed behind, uninvited.

They stood in a long, rectangular yard, closed in by high brick walls and lit with bright lanterns. At the far end of the yard was a target made of straw, with a brightly painted bull's-eye on the front of it. After pulling an arrow from the quiver and setting it on the ground to one side, Kuja took the bow from Claire, fitted the arrow, and pulled the string taut. "Look through the sight here when you aim," he told her, "and keep both of your eyes open." He quickly aimed and released the arrow, and there was a whizzing sound as it cut through the air and hit the target one ring out from the bull's-eye.

Jack whistled appreciatively, two of his arms folded. "Not bad, Kuj."

Claire stared up at him, agape. "How do you know how to do that?" she asked in astonishment.

"I used to be a weapons dealer," Kuja replied vaguely. "Now," he prompted, handing her the bow and selecting another arrow, "make sure to keep the head of the arrow fast against the sight. And keep your arm parallel to your body."

She fitted the arrow carefully and pulled it back, both her arms trembling with the effort of bending the bow. Jack's golden eyes widened, and he took a few steps back for safety. Training the sight on the target, Claire held her breath and let go.

The arrow struck the bull's-eye dead-center.

"_Whoa!_" Jack blurted, blinking in disbelief. "Did you just see that?"

Kuja merely smiled approvingly at Claire, who had turned to him, her brown eyes wide. "Congratulations, Claire," he said. "You're a natural."

---

Strolling beside Kuja as the three of them left the entrance to Treno behind, her new bow and quiver of arrows slung over her shoulder, Claire shook her head in wonderment. "I still can't believe it," she said with a laugh. "Who would have ever thought I'd have any talent at archery? My little brother Richie would say I'm a regular Legolas."

Kuja frowned at her, puzzled. "A what?"

She shook her head, her short dark hair bouncing. "Never mind."

They walked for a while in silence, and then Kuja was aware that she was lingering behind. He stopped and looked at her over his shoulder. "What is it?" he asked.

She answered with another question. "Where are we going? Didn't we leave Silver Dragon over there?" She pointed across the dark field.

"I sent Silver Dragon back to the palace last night, while you were asleep," he replied. "We're not taking it to Alexandria. And we're not taking a gargant, either, which we could have done at Doctor Tot's. We're traveling to Alexandria on foot."

"_What?_ How come? And what's a gargant?"

"Oh, you'd like them, sweetheart," Jack said with a smirk as he sidled up to her. "They're like beetles, only a million times bigger."

Stifling his impatience, Kuja pulled back his hood and shook his hair free. "Claire, you're not going to gain any experience with your weapon by practicing on immovable targets. You need to test out your skills by encountering beasts in the field, and by traveling on foot, you'll be able to do that."

Claire bit her lip nervously. "Real beasts? So soon? I don't know if I'm ready."

"Come on, baby," said Jack, putting an arm around her shoulder and giving her a squeeze, "if what you did back in that practicing range is any indication, you could shoot a zaghnol between the eyes on the first try."

Kuja expected her to shake the young man's arm off in disgust, but instead she smiled slightly. "Really?" she asked.

Jack's grin widened. "Really and truly," he replied.

Frowning in distaste, Kuja turned around and continued walking. He wasn't sure if he liked the idea of Claire befriending that unprincipled, uncultured little scoundrel. Clearly, he had no good qualities to speak of. As far as Kuja was concerned, the sooner Jack was out of the picture, the better.

According to Kuja's plan, they were to cross the Bentini Heights west to the Treno Gate, and then ride the Berkmea cable car north to the Zamo Basin. From there it was only steps away from Alexandria. If they encountered a mu or a carve spider along the way, Claire would practice on it while Kuja and Jack made sure she wasn't attacked. Once they reached Alexandria... Well, they would decide what to do when the time came.

As they walked across the field, the darkness gradually receding, Jack began to hum softly to pass the time, and then he started singing to himself in an unexpectedly pleasant, husky baritone.

"When I'm wandering so wearily,

I think about the girls

In Lindblum and Alexandria,

With straight hair and with curls

They sway their hips and twirl their skirts,

They bat their pretty eyes

And I know I can face any thing,

In any shape or size..."

Claire had begun to chuckle halfway through this ridiculous song, and Jack, emboldened by her laughter, continued to croon more loudly. "Oh, _giiirls_, they make a rainy day/Grow sunny with their smile/And whenever I--"

"Will you _kindly_ stop that infernal racket?" Kuja interrupted, irritated at Claire for encouraging him. "You're driving off all the animals."

"Hey, Mr. Sunshine, quit bein' such a crank," Jack answered, sticking his nose regally into the air. "Claire likes it. Don't you, sweetheart?" Claire rolled her eyes. "Well, anyway... If you hate it so much, why don't _you_ sing something?"

Kuja almost succumbed to the urge to laugh in his face. "I don't think so."

"Come _on!_" Jack whined. Kuja continued to ignore him, and he turned to Claire. "What about you, sweetheart?" he asked with a rakish smile. "Sing us a song from Earth."

"Will you _stop_ calling me 'sweetheart'?" she growled. Kuja hid a smile by coughing into his hand. "Let's see, a song from Earth... Well, there are a lot of them."

"Then just pick one," Jack pressed.

Claire was silent for a moment, and then she began singing in a high, grating voice, "The sun'll come out tomorrooow! Bet'cher bottom dollaaar that--"

Kuja winced in pain, and Jack quickly stopped her. "_Geez_, that's annoying!" he exclaimed, almost in awe. "Please, sing something else!"

"Excuse _me_, I can't think of any songs good enough to represent my planet!" There was another, longer silence as Claire walked along in thought. Kuja almost assumed she had given up, but then he heard her start to sing in a sweet, lilting voice:

"Hey Jude, don't make it bad

Take a sad song and make it better

Remember to let her into your heart

Then you can start to make it better..."

"Wow, I like it," Jack said, eyeing her appreciatively.

"Thanks!" she replied.

Kuja felt his tail twitching in annoyance. "Who's Jude?" he asked Claire, trying his best to ignore Jack.

She shrugged. "Beats me," she said. "I think it's just a song."

"Keep singin'," Jack urged her.

Claire nodded and resumed the song, softly at first, and then gaining more strength as she grew bolder. Kuja found himself entranced by her musical voice.

"Hey Jude, don't be afraid

You were made to go out and get her

The minute you let her under your skin

Then you begin to make it better..."

---

"And any time you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain," Claire and Jack sang boisterously at the top of their voices. "Don't carry the world up on your shoooulder..."

Kuja sighed irritably, forcing down his anger as his companions' singing caused yet another flock of trick sparrows to flutter off in alarm. At this rate, they wouldn't come upon a single animal on the rest of their journey to Treno Gate.

"For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool, by making his world a little cooolder..."

"Will you _please_ stop singing, at least for now?" he asked, as politely as he could. "Once we reach the Aerbs Alexandria Station, you can sing as much as you want, but for the moment, we must maintain absolute silence if we ever hope to find any animals."

Jack trotted up to his side and cast an insolent glare at him. "I know why you're bein' such a jerk," he said in a low, biting voice, meant for only Kuja to hear. "It's because you're jealous. I'm bondin' with Claire, and you can't stand it."

"As I recall," Kuja replied icily under his breath, "you assured me earlier that your lips were _sealed_."

"I knew it," Jack rasped triumphantly. "You _are_ jealous. Well, you'd better get used to it. It's only a matter of time until I get closer to Claire, and she won't be able to resist me. Compared to you, I'm an angel."

Kuja felt white-hot rage course through his veins, and he grabbed the redhead roughly by one of his sleeves. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you with my bare hands right now," he snarled.

In response, Jack smiled smugly. "Because Claire would hate you," he said simply.

Kuja blinked at him, too stunned to speak.

"That's right," Jack continued, spurred on by his silence. "You could kill me easily, but you won't, because then Claire wouldn't look at you with respect and admiration anymore. She'd see you as what you really are: a cold, heartless killing machine."

Staring into the thief's confident, black-rimmed eyes, Kuja felt something he had never experienced before. He felt powerless. It was not an agreeable feeling.

"If you _ever_ tell her about me," he whispered, shaking with fury, "I'll--"

"You'll what? Kill me?" Jack smiled. "That would just prove I was right all along." He scoffed. "You haven't changed, Kuja. You may think you have, but in reality you're the same bloodthirsty monster you always were."

Kuja let go of his sleeve and shoved past him. "Shut up."

Suddenly he heard a shriek, and he turned around, panic quickly overtaking his anger. Claire was nowhere in sight. Cursing himself for letting her fall behind, he raced back through the tall grass, Jack at his heels. _If anything happened to her..._ he thought, his dread soaring.

He found her in a clearing, the grass trampled flat. She was sitting on her knees, and next to her was the body of a dead fang, its matted fur stained red. Arrows were lodged in its neck and shoulder, and hot blood poured from the wounds. More arrows lay scattered on the ground.

"Claire!" He dropped to his knees beside her, his eyes quickly scanning her for injuries. She appeared to be unhurt, but he asked, "Are you all right?"

"It's about time," she said unsteadily, looking up at him with glassy eyes.

He helped her to her feet, and Jack burst into the clearing, breathing hard. "What happened?" he asked. "Is she okay?"

"Way to protect me, guys," Claire fumed, pushing away from Kuja. "I had to kill that thing all by myself! It could've ripped me open!"

Jack stared at the boar-like animal lying on the ground in astonishment. "No way," he breathed. "You took down a fang all by yourself, with no experience whatsoever?"

"If that thing on the ground is called a fang, then yeah, I guess I did."

Kuja watched with growing self-hatred as Claire began picking up her spent arrows and slipping them back into her quiver with trembling hands. If he had not let himself get into an argument with that criminal, she would never have had to defend herself alone. He had promised to protect her. And he had failed.

"Claire," he said as she shoved the last of her arrows into her quiver, "I am so sorry. I should never have let you out of my sight." He placed his hand on her arm. "Can you ever forgive me?"

She gave a shaky sigh. "Yeah, I guess so," she replied. "Just don't..." Her voice faltered. "Don't do it again."

"I won't," Kuja vowed firmly. And then, to his surprise, she came forward into his arms, shuddering from head to toe. Swallowing uneasily, he held her close to him and rubbed her back, trying to stop her shivering. He found himself enjoying the warmth of her skin, the smell of her hair, and the way his chin rested on the top of her head.

He was enjoying it so much that he didn't notice the deep rumble of contentment that rose in his chest until Jack cocked his head in surprise. "_What_ the...?"

"Are... are you _purring?_" Claire asked uncertainly.

Kuja started slightly. "Am I?" he asked, taken aback. He paused, feeling the vibrations as he breathed in and out. "Yes, I suppose I am."

"Man, it's just one weird surprise after another with you, isn't it?" Jack muttered, folding his arms.

Claire's shivers seemed to be abating, but she didn't appear to be in any hurry to leave his embrace. In fact, Kuja felt distinctly uncomfortable as she pressed her ear to his chest and smiled faintly. "I kind of like it," she decided.

Kuja felt his cheeks grow warm. He rarely purred, mostly because he was rarely relaxed enough to purr. He hadn't expected this kind of reaction from Claire, but he had to admit that he was strangely pleased.

"Kuja," she said softly.

His purring grew louder as he closed his eyes. "Yes, my dove?" he murmured.

"We're standing in a puddle of fang blood."

He sighed. "Fantastic."

---

A/N: Ahahah... Oh. Well, that's it for chapter six. Yes, I know, Jack's being a little jerk at the moment. He _is_ a no-good thief, after all. But he'll change, just trust me on that. Anyway, hope you like the story so far, and remember, review, for it is the fuel which keeps fanfiction writers going!

-W.


	7. In the Cards

A/N: Hooray, chapter seven! Say hello to a new character, everyone. Anyway, thank you very much, everyone who reviewed! I'm glad you like the story so far. It's been extremely fun writing it, as well. What can I say, I love the world of Gaia. It's probably my favorite Final Fantasy world, out of all the games I've played. And I really liked Final Fantasy VII's world, especially Wutai. Anyway, that's neither here nor there. On to chapter seven.

Disclaimer: 'Final Fantasy IX' and all of its characters, locations, and elements are property of Square Enix. (sigh) Too bad.

----

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Seven: In the Cards

----

Jack felt great. He was traveling in the company of an extremely hot and interesting girl, for one thing. Even better was the fact that she was starting to warm up to him. And the sweetest part was that her traveling companion, the Angel of Death, couldn't harm a hair on his head. He had _Kuja_, probably the most dangerous being on Gaia, wrapped around his finger! Could it get any better than that?

True, it was clear at the moment that Claire favored Kuja over him. And true, Kuja obviously had a thing for her, since he hadn't killed her or anything. And of course, he couldn't forget the fact that he had threatened her with a knife on their first meeting. But all of that could change, especially when Claire discovered what a romantic, sensitive guy he could be. Jack wasn't worried.

What he was worried about was the insane mission she was on. She seemed like a nice, intelligent, and more importantly, cute girl, and he'd hate to have her get eaten alive by a grendel on Vile Island. Maybe there was some way he could convince her not to go. But she seemed pretty dead-set on saving her planet. She probably wouldn't listen to him.

_Oh well, guess there are other fish in the sea,_ he thought a little regretfully. Then his eyes traversed the curves of her figure. _Still, couldn't hurt to try._

Quickening his pace until he was alongside her, Jack flashed her his most charming smile. "So hey, Claire," he said cheerfully. "I almost forgot to tell you what an awesome job you did, takin' down that fang on your own. You're turnin' into a great archer."

"Thanks, Jack," she replied with a small smile.

"And listen, I'm real sorry that I wasn't there to back you up," he continued, allowing a touch of remorse into his voice. "But me and Kuja were--"

"Kuja and I," she corrected absently.

"Yeah, okay; _Kuja and I_ were just gettin' a few things straight between us. To tell you the truth..." After reassuring himself that Kuja was some paces ahead of them, he lowered his voice along with his eyes and sighed. "I feel bad about takin' advantage of him like this. I don't have nothin' against him, it's just..." He hesitated.

Claire frowned at him. "If you feel bad about it, then why are you doing it?"

_Yes._ Perfect. Just what he was hoping she would ask. But he had to do this just right. "Well, first of all, you got to believe me on this. If I had known you like I do now back when I tried to hold you up, I _never_ would have done it." That part was true, at least. "But anyway, the real reason I blackmailed Kuja into takin' me along with you guys was because..." He took a deep breath and said the rest of his speech all in a rush. "I wanted to get to know you better."

_Drum-roll, please..._

"Wow," she said quietly.

Jack nodded slowly, avoiding her eyes. "Yeah." They walked for a while in silence. Then he made his move. "So like, I was just wonderin' if - I mean, after you're done savin' your planet or whatever - if you'd ever want to go out sometime. I know this great place in Lindblum--"

"Look, Jack," Claire interrupted. "You're an okay guy; you're definitely not as much of a weasel as I thought you were at first."

_Gee, thanks,_ he thought to himself, slightly offended.

"But you're not really my type," she continued. "I'm sorry."

Well, shoot. That wasn't supposed to happen. What was wrong with him? Why did girls turn him down so much? Surely it couldn't be because...

"Oh, I get it," he said bitterly, finally realizing the truth. "Geez, it's so obvious. I can't believe I didn't see it. You're just not into guys who have more than two arms, is that it?"

Claire sighed wearily. "No, that's not it..."

"You don't have to pretend that's not what it is, Claire," he said indignantly, disgusted that she would lie to spare his feelings. "You're not the first girl to turn me down because of the way I look. People say that men are shallow, but the truth is, women aren't any better. And you're just like all the rest of them. Except you don't seem to mind guys who have tails."

Suddenly Claire spun on him, and he scrambled a few steps away from her in surprise. "Look, I'm sorry if you've been rejected before because of the way you look," she said in a low voice. "But just because you've been burned doesn't mean you have the right to judge me. Personally, I wouldn't care if you had six eyes and a pair of lobster claws. You're just... not my type. Okay?"

Jack couldn't help but admire her spunk, but he was still wounded by her rejection. "Okay, fine," he said, deliberately indifferent. "So who is your type? Fluffy the Purring Cat over there?" He gestured inconspicuously at Kuja. "You know, Kuja isn't such a great guy, either. If you knew half the stuff that he's done, you wouldn't touch him with a thirty-foot pole."

Claire shook her head pityingly. "See, that's why we're so different, Jack," she said. "I don't condemn people for what they've done in the past; which is why I'm not condemning you for threatening to kill me when we met. The only thing that matters is who a person is on the inside."

Geez, what was with this chick? No matter what he did, he couldn't get to her. "Yeah, well," he muttered. "I hope you don't forget your own words."

----

The Aerbs Alexandria station was crowded when the trio reached the Treno Gate. It seemed a traveling acting company called Tantalus was performing a play in Alexandria the next day, and everyone who was anyone had gotten tickets. Jack had no idea what could be so great about a play with a title as stupid as 'I Want to Be Your Canary', but apparently it was a favorite of the recently crowned Queen Garnet til Alexandros, who was the hottest monarch in the history of... _ever_.

After Kuja had put on his oh-so-clever disguise, namely his hood, they walked into the station and purchased gate passes, which allowed them to ride the Berkmea cable car. Two years ago, the Mist-powered cars had become unoperational after the Mist had vanished, but with the help of engineers from Lindblum, the Berkmeas were recently redesigned to run without Mist by the use of an elaborate system of pulleys. The renovations had also included an additional track to carry passengers north to the Zamo Basin. But it looked as if they were in for a wait; the Berkmea was currently headed for the opposite side of the mountain, headed for South Gate. They had no choice but to sit around until it returned.

Jack sighed and put all four of his arms behind his head as he sat down heavily on a bench. "Man, I can't wait to get back to Alexandria again," he said wistfully. "I haven't been there in at least two years. I heard there's a really cute girl who owns her own theater there."

"Speaking of theaters," said Claire, "do either of you know anything about this Tantalus group everyone's talking about? They seem to be pretty popular."

"Beats me," he replied. "I might have heard something about them, but I don't really keep up with that stuff." He shot a smirk up at Kuja. "What about you, Kuj? You seem like the theater-goin' type. You know anything about Tantalus?"

For a moment Jack thought Kuja's urge to kill him would overpower his unwillingness to lose Claire's respect, but he mastered himself and directed his response to the girl. "Tantalus is an acting troupe that travels to different cities in their airship, the Prima Vista. It is led by a loud, annoying man named Baku, but the principal actor in most of the plays is a young man named Zidane Tribal."

"Oh yeah, now I remember!" Jack exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "But I think you got your facts mixed up, 'cause I heard that Tribal disappeared a couple of years ago, back when you were--" A warning glare from Kuja put an end to that sentence. "Anyway, yeah. Zidane Tribal. I think I met the guy in Daguerreo once. He seemed pretty decent, even though I think he was a thief, like me."

Claire rolled her eyes. "Is there anyone on this planet who _isn't_ a thief?" she said sarcastically.

"What's the matter?" he teased. "I thought you liked bad boys." Gradually he realized the two of them were staring at him with no very friendly eyes, and he cleared his throat. _Wuh-oh, my cue to leave,_ he thought. "Well, I guess I'm gonna walk around here until the Berkmea shows up. Once we're on the cable car, we'll be sittin' for a while." With that he stood up and sauntered off in search of something to keep him occupied.

"Sheesh, what a couple of old ladies," he muttered, shoving two of his hands in his pockets. After he had bought a couple of hi-potions at the item shop from a plump, red-haired lady, he wandered around the station aimlessly. Maybe he could find someone who was willing to play cards to pass the time. Claire wasn't from Gaia and wouldn't have any cards, and somehow he doubted Kuja did _anything_ for recreation, besides blowing up cities.

Jack was about to give up and sit down when he saw a small crowd gathered near the gate that led to the village of Dali. Curious, he strolled over, wondering what they were looking at. Suddenly from the front of the crowd rang a clear female voice with a truly bizarre accent.

"That's right, mates, step right up! Play for a hundred gil! If any of you can beat me at Tetra Master, I'll give you all of me winnings! That's seven thousand, three hundred gil! Who thinks they can beat me?"

_Seventy-three hundred gil?_ Jack thought, his eyes wide. Now here was some quick money if ever he saw it. He was practically the best Tetra Master player on the Mist Continent, and he had the best cards there were. This would be a cinch!

Pushing his way through the crowd, Jack made his way toward the front and stopped. There was no need to rush into this. Better to let the challenger play a few rounds with someone else, and get a feel for her technique. Then he'd find the best possible way to mop the floor with her.

Elbowing past a few more gawking spectators, Jack finally shoved and prodded his way to the front. When his eyes fell on the challenger, his mouth went dry.

Sitting at a small, battered deal table, an array of Tetra Master cards at her fingers, was a tall, thin girl of about nineteen with long blond hair, milky white skin, and a pair of very mischievous gray eyes. She was dressed in a long red tailcoat with bell sleeves, tight gray trousers, fingerless gloves, and white spats. A red bowler derby was tipped at a jaunty angle on her head, and there was a small mole near her right eye.

_Whoa, daddy,_ he thought.

"You there, wif the suspenders!" She beckoned to one of the spectators. "Come on, mate, don't be shy! Here's how it works: I choose the top five cards from this here stack--" She gestured to a pile on the deal table. "And you choose any five cards you've got. I don't even pick me own cards! For a hundred gil, you can walk away seventy-two hundred richer! What do you say, mate?"

The man with the suspenders hesitated for a moment, scratching his head. "Ah, sure, why not?" he finally said, coming forward and slapping a hundred gil on the table.

"Good show!" the girl exclaimed, rubbing her gloved hands together. "Pick your cards, now, and take your time."

An eternity seemed to pass before the man was ready with his cards. The blond girl flipped a coin to determine who would go first, and the man put down a Gnoll card. Picking the top card from her deck, the girl set down a Flan card beside it. A battle began, and the Gnoll took the Flan.

The game continued, the man systematically wiping out the girl's randomly chosen arsenal. All of her cards seemed pretty weak to Jack, and he doubted they would be any match for his airship cards.

Suddenly, on the last turn, the girl whipped the top card from her stack and turned it over, revealing an Ark card. Jack's jaw dropped. The Ark card was one of the strongest, and rarest cards in existence. She slapped it down in the middle of the table, knocking out most of her opponent's cards in an unheard-of quintuple combo.

"Ohhh, I'm sorry, mate!" she said, snapping her fingers. "Talk about luck! Well, you can still challenge me to a rematch for another hundred."

"No, thanks," the man replied morosely, gathering up his remaining cards and shuffling off.

'Talk about luck,' the girl had said. Jack had a feeling luck had had nothing to do with that annihilation.

"Well, anyone else want to take a bash at it?" she asked the crowd, returning her cards to the bottom of the stack. "The pot now stands at seventy-four hundred gil."

"Yeah, I'll give it a try," said Jack, stepping forward and tossing a hundred gil on the table.

The girl grinned and drummed her fingertips on the table. "Excellent! My, my, look at you!" she exclaimed, examining him more closely. "I don't know if I want to play you now, wif your obvious advantages." She winked.

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," he assured her with a smirk.

She giggled. "Well then, you have me gratitude. D'you have a name, jack?"

He couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah," he answered. "It's Jack. Alleyway Jack."

"No foolin'!" She slapped her knee in amazement. "Well, Jack, I'm Felina. Felina Flynn, and very pleased to meet you, I'm sure." She tipped her bowler hat to him in greeting.

"Meow," he replied with a rakish grin.

"All right, now, enough of that," she warned, wagging her finger at him, though she still retained her charismatic smile. "Just hush up and pick your cards."

"No problem, Miss Felina Flynn," he said, pulling his own select stack of cards from his pocket. After a moment's deliberation, he had chosen his cards: the Hildagarde 1, the Hildagarde 3, the Invincible, and two Red Roses. _Beat that, Last-Minute-Ark-Card,_ he thought smugly.

He cleared his throat nonchalantly. "Ready," he said.

"Right!" Felina said cheerily. "I'll just flip the coin, and--"

"_Uhh_, wait a minute," Jack interrupted, holding up two of his hands. "Do you mind if I, uh, shuffle your stack a bit before we begin? You know, just to be safe," he added. "There're a lot of cardsharps out there, makin' their living by... dishonest gain."

Felina didn't miss a beat. "Oh, of course not! Go ahead!" She handed him her own stack of cards, and he shuffled them thoroughly before giving them back to her. "We ready now?" she asked. He nodded, and she flipped the coin. It came up red, and she set down a Stroper card. "Have at it, Jack," she said, beaming at her good fortune.

Forcing down a laugh, Jack set down a Red Rose card and very efficiently wiped out her Stroper. Felina pouted for a few seconds, then put down the next card on the top of her stack, a Bomb. As the game went on, the crowd around them grew larger, and Jack's cards swiftly took out her weaker ones. _Too easy,_ he thought, but his smile quickly faded. He couldn't forget about the Ark card. She couldn't have stacked her deck, because he had shuffled it himself. But this charming little kitten still had something up her sleeve, he knew it.

_That's it,_ he thought, his eyes widening.

As Felina was picking up her last card, Jack grabbed her wrist with one hand and swiped the card out of her grasp with another. "I knew it!" he exclaimed, turning it over to reveal a Behemoth card. "You're nothing but a cardsharp, after all!"

"Let go of me hand, you bloody imbecile!" she yelped, trying to pull free.

"I don't think so, kitten," he said smugly. With a third hand, he pushed up her right sleeve. Tied to her white wrist with a length of ribbon was a thin stack of cards. "You've been cheatin' this whole time. You get people's hopes up with your big stack of crappy cards, and then on the last round you whip out a selection from your secret arsenal!"

The crowd gasped in horror and began booing Felina for her fraudulent business practices. She stood up hotly from her deal table and shook her fist in Jack's face. "Now look what you done, you soddin' idiot!" she hissed. "I was makin' a pretty profit here, and you just mucked it up!"

Jack blinked at her innocently. "Hey, I haven't done anything wrong here," he said defensively. "All I did was uphold the law and protect these fine people from your underhanded schemes."

"What?" Felina laughed derisively. "Don't give me that! Why, anyone wif eyes could see that you're a criminal, too! So what are you, mugger or pickpocket?"

"Whoa, don't take this out on me!" he shot back angrily. "Someone was bound to catch on to your scam sooner or later! Just be grateful that I'm goin' easy on you!"

"Goin' easy on me?" she repeated scornfully. "You just drove away a whole mob of potential customers!"

"And let that be a lesson to you," he replied haughtily. "Now since I found you out, I think I'm entitled to seventy-four hundred gil in prize money."

The blond's pale face flushed in anger. "You want to say that again, mate?"

"Jack!" His head whipped around in surprise to see Claire and Kuja walking up to him. "Where have you been all this time?" Claire asked. "The cable car's been here for almost ten minutes. It's going to leave without us if we don't hurry."

"Yeah, okay," he answered. Picking up his cards along with his profits, he turned and began to follow them.

"Oi, hold up there!" Felina said furiously, scooping up her cards and running after him. "I'm not finished wif you! Come back here wif me money!"

Kuja sighed and turned around to face Jack. "Whose day did you ruin now?" he asked flatly.

Jack began to splutter in protestation, but Felina caught up with him, burning with rage. "Now look here, mate, I ain't leavin' you be until you give me back the money I _rightfully_ stole!"

"Jack," Claire said impatiently, "just give her back her money, and let's go!"

"_Frick!_" he shouted furiously, throwing up all four of his hands. "I didn't do anything wrong! This girl was cheatin' at cards, and I exposed her! She got what was comin' to her!"

"It doesn't matter," Kuja said firmly. "Give her the money or don't, but either way, we're leaving. Come on, Claire." He took the brunette's arm, and they headed off in the direction of the cable car.

Yelling in frustration, Jack took off after them, Felina persistently at his heels. Stopping at the entrance to the Berkmea, he showed his gate pass to the operator. "I hope you got a book to read, kitten," he told the blond, "because you're in for a long ride."

Felina growled and followed him onto the car, flashing her gate pass as well. "And I hope _you_ like leeches, mate," she retorted, "because until you give me back me money, you're stuck wif me!"

----

A/N: Aaand chaos ensues. Well, there it is! Before you ask me how there can be a girl with a Cockney accent on Gaia, let _me_ ask you _this_: how come Ruby has a Southern accent? Yup, nothing makes sense. Food for thought. Anyway, I had to play that stinkin' Tetra Master game a whole lot, so that I could write with some authority about it. Needless to say, I lost a lot. But you know, it's actually kind of fun! And hey, next time you're in Daguerreo, ask Jack to play cards with you. He is _good_, and he really does have nothing but airship cards. But I'm rambling again. Review and tell me what you think of Felina, you loyal reader, you.

-Wakizashi


	8. The Bodyguard

A/N: Hey, thanks for the reviews, guys! You're all so nice. I'm glad you like the story thus far, and don't think my characters are annoying. Well, Jack I can understand. But he'll get better. He has no choice, he's under my power! Hahaha! Anyway, I hope you enjoy my latest installment.

Disclaimer: Come on now. Everyone knows 'Final Fantasy IX' does not belong to me.

----

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Eight: The Bodyguard

----

God, Claire wanted to go home. This was getting ridiculous. Getting stuck with Jack was bad enough, but now she and Kuja were traveling with a con artist. Jack refused to return her ill-gotten profits, and Felina refused to leave him alone until she got it back. Could this journey get any worse?

Claire sighed and looked out the window at the passing trees as the Berkmea descended the mountain. She had hoped they would be in Alexandria by now. She still had no idea what "business" Kuja had there, but she supposed there were a lot of things he didn't see fit to tell her. And that was okay; she just wished he trusted her more.

She looked over at Kuja, fast asleep in the seat next to her. And no wonder; she didn't think he could have gotten more than an hour or two of sleep the night before. Leaning back in her seat, Claire's mind drifted back to the conversation between him and Doctor Tot in the middle of the night.

After much pleading, the scholar had conceded to let them spend the night at his house; or at least, what the residents of Treno deemed was night. Jack had turned the offer down, saying he preferred a little inn over in the slums. He assured them he would return in the morning, but Kuja had remarked to Claire that it would have been "unfortunate if he were to drown in the canals sometime in the night."

Tot only had one extra bedroom, and Kuja had insisted that Claire take the bed, and that he was quite all right on the floor. After folding one blanket in half, he lay on it, pulled another over himself, and was immediately asleep. But not for long.

In the middle of the night, Claire had been startled awake by the sound of violent coughing. She sat up straight in bed, and in the dim starlight streaming through the window, she saw Kuja doubled over, coughing painfully into his hand.

"Kuja?" she said, her eyes wide in alarm. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Yes, it's nothing," he managed to reply between coughs. "Go back to sleep."

Claire started to climb out of her bed. "Do you need some water?" she asked.

"_No_," he almost shouted, causing her to flinch slightly. "Don't trouble yourself, little bird, just go back to sleep." He stood up and abruptly left the room, his long silver tail thrashing behind him, leaving Claire alone in darkness and confusion.

Instead of going back to sleep, Claire remained sitting up for a long moment, wondering what to do with herself. She wanted to see if Kuja was all right, but she knew he would only be angry and tell her to leave him alone. Finally, cursing under her breath, she got out of bed and crept to the door. After peering out and making sure the coast was clear, she tiptoed out into the hall.

The light from a candle was flickering at the end of the corridor, and she heard another fit of coughing in Tot's observatory. Silently, she stole up to the doorway and pressed herself flat against the wall.

"Here," she heard Doctor Tot say. "Drink this. It will help, if only slightly."

This was followed by a short silence, and then Kuja quietly replied, "Thank you." She heard him sigh. "I have a fairly high tolerance for pain, but I must admit, it really jars me."

"I can only imagine," said Tot.

Claire frowned, and Kuja cleared his throat. "I never thanked you for your assistance," he said in a low voice. "But I'm very grateful for it. To be honest, I didn't expect you to agree to help us."

"Neither did I," Tot answered frankly. "But your little friend Claire was very persuasive. She is quite a remarkable young woman."

There was another silence. "Yes," Kuja said softly, "she is."

Claire blushed at the tender manner in which he spoke of her, but the bout of coughing that followed filled her with worry. It was a harsh, rattling cough that sounded more fitting in a patient with tuberculosis.

"You should try to get some rest," Tot advised, and Claire tensed, ready to run back to her room.

"No," said Kuja after he had recovered. "I won't be able to sleep anymore. I might as well go out and take care of some things."

"Well, be sure to return before morning, or Claire will worry."

"I will."

"And Kuja..." Tot hesitated for a moment. "I am sorry about your condition. I'm sorry I can't do more for you."

The silence following this statement stretched on for almost a minute. "I appreciate your concern, Doctor Tot," Kuja finally said in an unsteady voice. "But I've come to accept it." There was a sound of retreating steps as he descended the winding stairs.

Noiselessly, Claire crept back to her bed, a thousand fears weighing on her mind. It seemed like an eternity until she was able to fall asleep, and it wasn't until early morning, when the sky was only slightly less dark, that Kuja silently returned to his bed on the floor.

----

Of course, it was only until they had left Treno that Claire realized that Kuja had sent Silver Dragon back to the palace in the middle of the night. But he had never said a word to her about his coughing fit, and she didn't dare mention it to him. Clearly, it was one of those things he was sensitive of, like his tail.

Either way, he was understandably exhausted, so Claire wanted to let him sleep. She looked up at him and realized his hood was starting to slip back. Carefully, she reached up and gently pulled it back down over his pale face. Suddenly his eyes fluttered open, and she jumped in surprise.

"I'm sorry!" she blurted, recoiling in embarrassment. "Your hood was coming off... and I thought... I'm sorry," she ended lamely.

His lips curved slightly in amusement, a shadow of a smile. "It's all right," he replied. "I shouldn't have dozed off." He covered a jaw-cracking yawn with his hand. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Only about half an hour." Claire hesitated, biting her lip, and then added, "I wish you could've gotten more sleep last night."

His slender frame stiffened for a brief moment beside her, and then he shrugged with deliberate casualness. "Don't worry about it," he said evenly.

"Well, it's kind of hard not to," she found herself saying as she gazed pointedly out the window. "I mean, you did sound pretty awful."

"Claire..."

"I just wish you trusted me enough to tell me some stuff, you know?" she continued, her concern inexplicably turning to annoyance. "It's kind of insulting to me when you keep me in the dark. Like, you still haven't told me why we're going to Alexandria when we could be on our way to Vile Island. But I haven't said anything about it, because I trust you. It's just too bad you don't trust me."

"Claire." She felt him shift in the seat next to her, and he placed his hand on her forearm. She still kept her eyes stubbornly on the passing scenery out the window. "There may be some things I'm not telling you," he said quietly. "But only because it's better that you don't know. And it doesn't mean that I don't trust you. I do." He paused. "I'm... I'm trying to protect you."

"Yeah?" Frowning, Claire turned and looked up at him. "From what?"

Kuja said nothing, and they stared silently at each other as the cable car bounced and rattled beneath them. Under his hood, his wintry blue eyes seemed to be filled with a bottomless sadness. Slowly, Claire covered his hand with hers, urging him to speak. In response, he lifted his other hand and placed it gently on the side of her face. Her heart began to pound in her chest.

"Give me back me money, you half-wit!" Felina roared from the other end of the cable car.

"No way, she-devil!" Jack shouted.

Quickly, Kuja yanked his hands back down, and Claire scooted away from him, her face flaming. And then, absurdly, she began to laugh. Kuja whipped his head around at her in surprise, and then after a moment he started to chuckle softly as well.

----

"Tell you what," Felina said in a calm, reasoning voice as the group left South Gate behind and began making their way through the Zamo Basin. "If you give it back, I'll give you four, no, make it _three_ of me best cards."

"No deal," Jack replied blithely.

The cardsharp's gray eyes bulged in anger. "Why, you little virus!" she said hotly. "You couldn't buy these cards at an auction for seventy-four hundred gil! You'd be gainin' on this deal!"

"Sorry," he said cheerily.

Felina threw up her hands in frustration. "What is wrong wif you?" she demanded, her gloved fists clenched. "Are you completely daft, mate? What can you possibly gain by takin' a measly seventy-four flippin' hundred gil, besides me dignity?"

Jack smiled magnanimously. "The pleasure of your company."

She scoffed disdainfully and pushed rudely past him, trotting up to Claire and Kuja, who were walking ahead of them. "How in the name of all that's holy did you two ever get stuck wif him?" she asked furiously.

Kuja merely sighed wearily, but Claire took pity and answered her. "He's blackmailing my friend into taking him with us to Alexandria."

"Aha!" the blond exclaimed triumphantly, turning around and glaring at Jack. "I knew it! You ain't any better than me! What's the difference between me takin' advantage of card players and you takin' advantage of these good people?"

"'Cause one of them isn't 'good people', that's the difference," the four-armed thief said sourly. "Besides, if it's just a measly seventy-four hundred gil, why do you want it back so bad?"

"It's the principle!" Felina persisted. "You drove away me customers, and you ain't gonna get away wif it!"

"Looks to me like I am."

"Give it back!"

"No!"

"Oh, just shut up, both of you!" Kuja snapped unexpectedly, and they immediately fell silent. Claire had to admit, he was a pretty frightening guy when he was angry. "Now look," he said, drawing back his hood, "If you insist on traveling with us, Miss--"

"Flynn," the girl replied. "Felina Flynn."

"Miss Flynn. If you are going to travel with us, you will abide by our rules. And this goes for you as well, Jack. You will stop arguing, stop acting like children, and stop being a nuisance. You will contribute to the group by participating in battles with any beasts we might encounter. And you will not speak to each other unless it is in a calm, civilized tone. _Is_ that understood?"

Jack lifted his head imperiously into the air. "Hey, you can't tell me what to do. I can still turn you in to the authorities."

"And I can still kill you," Kuja replied menacingly.

"Please, do!" Felina beseeched him, clasping her hands. "Then I can get me money back off his corpse!"

"Those are the terms," Kuja said firmly, folding his arms. "Take them or leave them."

Jack glowered at him angrily for a moment, then groaned. "Fine," he grumbled sullenly. Then he frowned. "Hey, how come Claire doesn't get a lecture?"

"Because _Claire_ is the only one out of the lot of you who isn't a thorn in my side," Kuja growled.

Claire grinned, oddly flattered. "Oh, stop, you're making me blush," she said coquettishly.

Felina pushed her derby hat forward on her head and humphed. "Maybe _he's_ a thorn," she said imperiously, nodding at Jack, "but I certainly ain't."

Jack snorted. "Well, look who's callin' the kettle black _now_," he muttered.

"Thorn!"

"She-devil!"

Kuja sighed and passed his hands tiredly over his face, but Claire smiled and patted his back reassuringly. "Don't worry," she said soothingly. "Look on the bright side. Before you know it, we'll be in Alexandria, and then we'll be rid of them forever."

As expected, he said nothing in reply, but as they continued walking, his tail curled affectionately around her arm.

----

A/N: Oh, how wrong she is. But of course she doesn't know it yet. Anyway, I know not a whole lot happened in this chapter, but I needed to explain some things, like what the heck happened the night before and all that. But the next chapter will be chock-full of action and angst and all that good stuff, so don't go too far. Thanks for reading, and please be kind and leave a review. Danke!

-Waki


	9. Different

A/N: Sorry about the wait, I've had a lot of stuff to do. Hey, it snowed here! I felt like I was eight years old again, running to the window every ten minutes to make sure it was still coming down. Then it melted, which was a total let-down. Oh well. Anyway, I'm sure you've had enough of my jabbering, so here it is, chapter nine!

Disclaimer: 'Final Fantasy IX' and all of its components are property of Square Enix and not of Wakizashi. Rats.

----

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Nine: Different

----

There was a time when Kuja Tribal would not have given a second thought to keeping a promise. Deceit and betrayal were second nature to him. He delighted in lying, and he was an expert at trickery. He was a backstabber from birth, and until recently, it seemed unlikely that any of that would ever change.

But something had happened to Kuja that he had never expected or intended to happen. He had changed. He was no longer the corrupt, unethical liar he once was. Hatred no longer festered in his heart. He was calm, at peace, almost liberated. When he smiled, it was not out of wickedness or greed, but of merriment and joy. He finally knew what it meant to truly live. It was as if he was a new person, a better person.

It was that girl. She had done it. Zidane may have saved his body, but _she_ had saved his soul. Kuja didn't know how, but she had redeemed him. From the moment she crash-landed into his meaningless life, she had pulled him out of his mental darkness and had given him a second chance.

If only... If only there was more time...

And if only those morons would stop singing.

In an effort to get the two thieves to stop bickering, Claire suggested that Jack teach Felina the song she had taught him, "Hey Jude". It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now Kuja had to wonder if the arguing might be better. Jack admittedly did not have a bad voice, but the blond's singing sounded like a cat that had gotten sat on by a bandersnatch.

"Naaaa, na na, na-na-na-_naaa!_ Na-na-_naaa_, hey Jude!" Felina sang loudly as they came out of the marshes in the Zamo Basin onto higher ground. No mistake about it; she sounded like some kind of dying animal.

"No, no, it's not 'na-na-na, hey Jude'," Jack corrected her. "It's 'na-na-_na_-na, hey Jude'. There's an extra 'na' in there."

Felina frowned. "I thought there was only three 'na's at that part."

"Nope, four 'na's," he confirmed.

Kuja felt his tail begin to bristle. "Does it really matter how many 'na's there are?" he asked, annoyed.

"Well, sure," said Jack. "You have to be able to sing the song right. Wouldn't want to sound like an idiot."

"Oh, no," Kuja replied under his breath. "Surely that's the _last_ thing you would want." He turned and cast a mildly reproachful glance at Claire. "This is your fault, you know," he told her sternly.

She smiled sheepishly. "My bad."

He narrowed his eyes at her, but he couldn't quite smother a smile of his own. In truth, it had not been such a bad journey so far; though he would never admit it to those two singing buffoons. Most of the bad blood between Jack and Felina had cooled down to a grudging acceptance, and their coordination in battle was quite impressive. Jack's curved, wickedly sharp sword packed a considerable amount of power, and Felina, whose weapon of choice was a shuriken, was nearly flawless with her aim. More importantly, Claire was improving rapidly in her archery skills. All other annoyances aside, such as the necessity of sharing a tent with Jack the night before and discovering that the thief talked loudly in his sleep, he could have done worse with his traveling companions.

Abruptly, Kuja was jolted out of his thoughts to find Felina walking alongside him, staring up at him intently, her pale brow creased in thought. "May I help you?" he asked dryly.

"You look real familiar, mate," she said slowly, tapping her chin. "I think I seen you somewhere before, but I can't remember where for the life of me. It's gone straight out of me head."

Forcing down his alarm, Kuja shrugged casually and looked straight ahead of him. "I'm terribly sorry," he replied nonchalantly. "I do hope you find it someday."

"Hold on there," she persisted, looked carefully up at him. "I don't think I ever caught your name," she said suspiciously. "You tryin' to hide somefin', mate?"

He cleared his throat, trying not to let his apprehension show. "Bob Jones, pleased to meet you." At his other side, Claire elbowed him hard in the ribs. "Ow! All right, all right. My name is... Kuja."

"Huh. Kuja." Felina stared fixedly at him with her keen gray eyes for such a long time that he felt sure that Claire's planet must be a few chunks of floating debris by now. Finally she shrugged. "Naw, I ain't never heard of you," she concluded, quite ungrammatically. "Sorry 'bout that, guv."

Kuja's shoulders sagged in relief. If Felina recognized him, that would be the end: the end of Claire's respect for him, the end of their friendship... the end of any notion that he could have ever been happy. He closed his eyes and uttered a silent prayer.

"Oi!" His eyes snapped open to see the blond gaping at him, her hand over her mouth. "Now I know where I seen you before!" she exclaimed in horror. "You're that one chap what done--"

A fierce bellow cut her sentence short, and Kuja turned around quickly. While they had been talking, a malboro had ambushed them and now stood in their path, its slimy green tentacles undulating violently.

"Wh-What the heck is that?" Claire yelped, grabbing Kuja's sleeve in a death grip.

"A malboro?" Jack said in disbelief. "I didn't know there were any malboros around here! I thought there were only little weak things, like serpions and hedgehog pies!"

"You're wrong there, mate," Felina replied, pulling out her shuriken. "Back when all of Gaia was covered in Mist a couple years ago, it spawned all kinds of nasties, like this here charmin' bloke."

Claire swallowed, her eyes locked fearfully on the hideous green beast. "So, wh-what do we do?"

"We destroy it," Kuja replied simply. "Get out your bow, little bird. You'll fight along with the rest of us."

With fumbling hands, the brunette unshouldered her bow and fitted it with an arrow from her quiver. Pulling the string taut, she let it fly. The malboro howled as it struck one of its larger tentacles.

"Good show, poppet!" Felina cried approvingly. "Now let's see if I can put out his spunk, eh?" Closing her eyes, she focused a water spell on the malboro, and the field was awash as she drenched the monster.

Jack grinned. "Not bad, kitten," he said. "Aww, but now he looks cold. Let's warm him up!" He followed with a firaga spell, and the malboro roared its fury as it writhed in the flames.

Claire was loading another arrow when the malboro suddenly dove at her with all of its power and rage. She grunted and fell to the ground, fighting off the beast's slippery tentacles. With a shout, Jack quickly launched himself into the fray, expertly hacking and slicing with his curved sword. Distracted, the malboro backed off, its anger focused on the redhead.

Kuja knelt beside Claire and helped her onto her feet. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No," she said, shaking her head disgustedly. "Just sticky." Picking up her bow, she dashed headlong back into the fight, and Kuja felt a swelling of pride.

The battle was not progressing well. The malboro had slapped Felina down with its tentacles, and Jack was in the process of healing her with a hi-potion. Suddenly the monster hissed ferociously, and a thick cloud of sour, acrid gas filled the air they were breathing.

Claire stopped in panic, blinking rapidly. "Hey, I can't see! I can't see anything!"

Jack and Felina were on the ground, poisoned and trying vainly to move. The malboro was slithering inexorably toward them with terrible purpose. Torn between coming to their aid and restoring Claire's sight, Kuja stood for a moment, his mind racing in indecision.

And then, all at once, he felt fire coursing in his veins, and his vision grew blurry and red. He had felt this once before, and as before, he shuddered in bliss as he felt the unbelievable power flowing through him. Out of nowhere, his own words came back to him from long ago:

_"So... an eruption of anger against one's surroundings induces a complete Trance! It's not the will to live, nor is it the desire to protect another!"_

...Trance...

...He prayed to any divine being that might be listening that he did not hurt anyone.

----

Curled up in an armchair with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a book of Lord Avon's plays in his lap, Kuja began to nod. He shook his head violently, trying to fight off his fatigue. Beside his chair in a huge canopy bed, Zidane Tribal tossed restlessly in his sleep, his forehead slick with sweat. Despite his own exhaustion, Kuja could not rest until he knew the boy would recover.

Returning to his book, he tried to resume his reading.

_'Marcus: Nay, ne'er would my love speak false. I must have faith! She shall appear if I only believe! As the sun lends me no ear, I pray instead to the twin moons! I beseech thee, wondrous moonlight, grant me my only wish! Bring my beloved Cornelia to me!'_

Kuja sighed and closed the book, staring into the crackling fireplace. His eyes were so tired that the words were blurring together. He had to do something before he fell asleep where he sat.

"Ugh," Zidane suddenly groaned, and Kuja sprang up from his chair, his blanket slipping off his shoulders. The boy's blue-green eyes fluttered open, and they swiveled around in his head as he took in his surroundings. Finally they settled on Kuja. "Where am I?" he asked in a dry, papery voice.

"My palace," Kuja replied. "I didn't know where else to take you." He managed a wry smile. "Somehow I doubted I would get a warm reception at the Black Mage village."

Zidane wiped his forehead weakly with the back of his hand. "How... did we get here?"

"Silver Dragon, of course," said Kuja.

The boy frowned. "But I thought we killed it."

Kuja rolled his eyes impatiently. "I replaced it, you dimwit," he replied irritably. "There's more than one Silver Dragon on this planet, you know." Sighing, he forced down his annoyance. "How are you feeling?"

Zidane yawned loudly. "I don't know," he said. "How's a dimwit supposed to feel?"

"Lucky." Kuja poured him a glass of water from a pitcher on a nearby table, and he drank it thirstily. "Lucky, and... proud," he added quietly. "Proud that he's not as big a dimwit as his brother."

Zidane's eyes connected with his as he drained the glass. Silently, he held it out, and Kuja returned it to the table. Then he cleared his throat. "Look, I'm glad you're alive and everything," he said slowly. "But I'd appreciate it if you don't call me 'brother'. It's just... it's too weird."

Kuja was silent for a long time, staring at Zidane without really seeing him. "Yes, of course," he said in a monotone. "I understand."

The boy looked away awkwardly, rubbing his eyes. "How long have I been out?" he asked.

"Let me see..." Kuja counted on his long white fingers. "At least sixteen hours. What do you think you're doing?" he demanded as Zidane struggled to get out of bed.

"I've got to get back to Alexandria," he said, his forehead breaking out in another sweat. "I promised Dagger I'd come home. She must be worrying herself sick by now." He stood up, and sank back down just as quickly.

"You're not going anywhere," Kuja said crossly, tapping his foot in disapproval. "In your condition, leaving now would only be reckless stupidity. You're no good to Dagger dead from exhaustion. Now lie back down and rest."

Zidane tried feebly to stand up again, but Kuja could have knocked him down with a feather. Groaning, he returned to bed, gasping from the physical exertion. "You don't understand," he said weakly. "I have to see her again. She's the reason for everything I do. I can't..." He yawned again, his eyelids drooping. "I can't live without her."

"You'll see her again, as soon as you recover," Kuja assured him. "I'll have Silver Dragon take you to her, but in the meantime, you must rest."

Zidane shook his head minutely. "You don't get it," he said, closing his eyes. "I... I love her..." He finally fell silent. In a few minutes, he was snoring.

Sighing wearily, Kuja returned to his chair and pulled the blanket over himself. He told himself he couldn't sleep for long; he had to make sure Zidane didn't try anything stupid, which was his middle name. But perhaps he could doze for a little while. He had to, before his whole body shut down from exhaustion. _Just for a little while_, he thought, his eyes drifting shut.

Suddenly his eyes snapped open. How long had it been? An hour? Two? He sat up abruptly in his chair, rubbing his face. As his hands fell away, his stomach gave a lurch. The bed was empty.

Cursing sharply under his breath, Kuja stood up and stalked angrily toward the door, vowing to strangle Zidane if he ever saw him again. As he walked, his eyes fell upon a small slip of paper lying on top of the book he had been reading. He snatched it up and read it:

_'Kuja - Sorry to leave like this, but I can't wait around anymore. I can't rest until I see Dagger again. If you ever fall in love, maybe you'll understand. Anyway, maybe I'll see you around some time. Don't kill anyone. Your brother, Zidane.'_

Kuja read the last three words over and over again. Then, with another curse, he crumpled up the note and threw it viciously into the fireplace.

----

Ever so slowly, Kuja opened his eyes. He found himself looking up at a makeshift roof of skins sewn together with thick brown thread. Through the thin partition, he could hear the sounds of a bird chirping, and of lowered voices. He blinked several times and spoke, his voice barely audible. "What happened?"

"Finally, you're awake," said Felina, who was sitting cross-legged beside him, her red derby in her hands. "That was some fireworks show you put on. I ain't never seen the like of it. Knocked you out cold, it did. Jack and me set up a tent for you 'til you woke up."

Gradually, it started coming back to him. "I went into a Trance," he said weakly. A sudden thought struck him, and he sat up straight, oblivious to his pounding head. "Was anyone hurt? Where is Claire?"

"Oi, take it easy there!" Felina reprimanded, pushing him back down. "She's fine; everyone's fine. She and Jack's outside right now, waitin' for you to come round. She wanted to come in, too, but I made her stay out."

Kuja frowned. "Why did you do that?"

"'Cause I wanted a word wif you, that's why." Felina looked at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. "Look, mate, I won't dance round it no more. I know who you are, and I know _you_ know what I'm talkin' about."

He closed his eyes and said nothing. So that was it, then. Goodbye, Claire. Goodbye, second chance. Goodbye, new life. It had been nice while it lasted, but in the end, it was nothing but a fantasy.

"I can see you ain't gonna try to deny it," she continued. "And I guess it's easier that way, 'cause you got a lot to answer for."

"I know that," he said quietly.

Felina was silent for a long time, and Kuja could only imagine what was coming next. "I mean," she said softly, "you know how many people you killed? Thousands, just in Alexandria. That's not even countin' all the cities Brahne destroyed wif your help. Burmecia, Cleyra, Lindblum... So many lives lost, all 'cause of you."

Kuja had long prepared himself for a speech of this sort, but now that it was actually happening, now that he was confronted with the thought of hearing someone else list all the atrocities he had committed, he found that he could hardly bear it. In his defense, he could have argued truthfully that Brahne's greed for conquest had not been his doing, but he doubted Felina would believe him. His throat constricted, his heart began to race, and it became difficult to breathe.

"Me best friend Dace," Felina said in a low voice, "He was in Alexandria during the attack. His grandfather was sick, see, and Dace was visitin' him. He sent me a letter, sayin' his granddad was gettin' better, and that he'd be back home in Lindblum in a few days. And then..." She paused, and took in a shaky breath. "And then you showed up."

If Kuja had been strong enough to get up, he would have left her then and there. He didn't want to listen to this.

"I ain't real sure what happened," she went on, her voice tremulous, "but when that dragon came, that Bahamut thing... I think it probably blasted his granddad's house, 'cause when I heard 'bout what happened, I went to Alexandria as fast as I could... but..." She sniffed hard. "The house wasn't there. Nuffin' was left but a pile of rubble."

In the silence that followed, Kuja opened his eyes and shot a brief glance at Felina. Her pale face, which was always proud or lively, was flushed, and tears glistened in her eyes. He quickly shut his eyes again.

"We... Dace and I... we was goin' to get married when he came back," she said in a whisper. "We was only seventeen, but Dace had just got a good-payin' job workin' in the airship docks. He said in his letter that... that he couldn't wait any longer." She took a deep, shaky breath.

If Kuja's punishment for what he'd done had been to listen to the stories of all the lives he had destroyed, he would gladly prefer death.

"That's just one person, guv," she said quietly. "One person out of countless thousands."

_I know, I know, don't you think I know that?_ he wanted to scream at her. But he knew that if he tried to speak at that moment, he wouldn't even get a sound out.

"When I heard you was dead," Felina resumed in a more steady voice, "I was glad. But I was angry, too. Angry that you'd gotten the easy way out. I didn't think death was a good enough punishment. And I always thought, 'If he was alive and in front of me right now, I'd make him pay for what he done to me, to everyone.'" She took another deep breath. "But I ain't gonna do that."

At this Kuja's eyes snapped open, and he stared up at her in confusion. "You're not?" he managed to ask in a tight, strangled voice.

Ignoring him, she continued, "It's pretty obvious that Jack knows who you are, or else he wouldn't be blackmailin' you. And it's also obvious that Claire _doesn't_ know."

Of course, it was all so clear to him now. He made another attempt to speak, and found it came easier to him. "Ah, I see," he said, more calmly than he felt. "I see, so instead of exacting revenge on me directly, you're going to destroy me by divulging my secret to the only person who doesn't despise me. I must congratulate you; it's a very clever tactic."

"You know a lot of fancy words, guv, but I do get your meaning," Felina replied. "And I probably _should_ tell Claire what you done. But I won't. You know why?"

Shocked into silence, Kuja simply shook his head.

"'Cause I can't," she said simply. "No matter how bad I want to, I just can't. 'Cause you ain't the same bloke what done all those things. You're different, I can tell. You're angry, but you ain't full of hate. You're short-tempered, but you ain't violent. You're still troubled inside, but you're calmer. You're just... _different_, you know?"

He knew what she was talking about. He couldn't explain it any better than she had, but he knew. He had changed.

"So I ain't gonna tell Claire," she said. "I think she deserves to know, but I'm leavin' that to you." Kuja released his breath in relief, and it was only then that he realized he had been holding it. "But just remember, mate," she warned, "either she hears it from you or from someone else, but she _will_ find out sooner or later. And if she _does_ hear it from someone else, then you're gonna have to explain to her why you kept it from her."

Kuja nodded. "I'm aware of that," he replied.

"Well," she said with a sigh as she stood up, "she won't hear it from me, you have me word on that." She shoved her bowler hat onto her head. "I suppose I should tell her you're awake now, before she has a heart attack."

She pulled back the flaps of the tent's opening, and Kuja was suddenly aware of the enormous heart behind her devil-may-care facade. "Felina," he said, propping himself up on his elbow, and she paused at the door. "Thank you."

She shrugged. "Let me go get Claire," she mumbled, and disappeared through the folds of animal skin.

He stared at the opening after her for a moment, and then his pulse quickened as the folds parted and Claire stepped gingerly inside. "Kuja, are you okay?" she asked hesitantly in her curious accent. "You had us... well, you had _me_ really worried."

Kuja smiled slightly. "Yes, I'm all right," he replied. He patted the ground beside him, and she sat down. "Did they tell you what happened?"

She nodded. "Yeah, vaguely," she said. "But I'm still not really clear on the details, because that marlboro thing blinded me."

"Malboro."

"Whatever." She paused. "I heard a deafening explosion, and then there was this really intense heat. Then Jack was putting some eye drops in my eyes, and when my vision came back, you were unconscious and the malboro was gone; there was _nothing_, just a black, charred area on the ground where the grass had been burned."

Thank goodness. So she hadn't seen him when he had been in a Trance. If she had, she would have been frightened out of her mind.

"Anyway," she said, "we all owe you our lives. If you hadn't killed that thing, it probably would have eaten us or something." She smiled. "So thanks."

Kuja found himself staring at her curved lips, remarking to himself how soft they looked. For no reason at all, he wondered what they would feel like pressed against his. Then he realized he hadn't heard a word she had said. "Yes, well..." he cleared his throat, his face burning. "Naturally." She arched a dark eyebrow at him, and he added hastily, "I should get up, if we hope to reach Alexandria soon."

"Oh, yeah, about that," she said nervously, wincing. "Felina decided that we should stay here tonight."

"What?" He looked at her sharply. "That's ridiculous! Who put her in charge?" He stood up abruptly, his head swimming. Claire quickly caught him by the arm to steady him. "She knows nothing of our mission, or she would know that time is of the essence and that..." He trailed off, staring down at Claire. "Why are your clothes damp?"

She smiled sheepishly. "I had slime all over me from that monster, so I washed off in the river."

"Oh." He paused, briefly thrown. "But why does Felina insist that we stay here?" he demanded. "We could easily reach Alexandria before nightfall."

"Well, see, there's that play going on tonight," Claire explained. "And she figured that the more people visiting Alexandria from other nations, the more chances someone might recognize you. So she decided it would be better to camp out here an extra day and wait for the crowd to thin out. Personally, I agree with her."

How easy for her to be concerned for him, to put his best interests in mind. If only she knew, she would not hesitate to throw him at the feet of the Alexandrian guards and let him fend for himself. How could he possibly tell her? He would lose her, _her_, the only person who didn't hate or fear him. He could _not_ lose her.

Forcing a smile, he said, "She does have a point. Perhaps we should stay."

As they emerged from the tent, Kuja leaning slightly on Claire for support, Jack abandoned his efforts at erecting a second tent and rushed over to them. "Oh, man, Kuja, that was the _coolest_ thing I've ever seen!" he blurted. "That malboro was comin' at us, and I looked over at you, and you were like, _glowin'_ or something, and then BOOM, the malboro just _exploded!_" He lifted his four arms expressively into the air. "My ears still haven't stopped ringin', and I think I have entrails in my hair, but it was awesome, man! You really saved our butts. If you weren't a dude, I'd probably hug you."

Kuja smiled dryly. "If I wasn't repulsed by the thought of you touching me, I'd probably let you," he replied.

"Yeah, go screw yourself." Jack waved dismissively and returned to his task.

Kuja rolled his eyes. "Here, let me help you with that tent," he said, by way of apology.

Claire glanced at him in concern as he eased off her shoulder. "Are you sure you should be exerting yourself?" she asked.

"Don't worry, little bird, I'll be all right," he assured her. On impulse, he lifted her chin up with his hand, and again wondered why he was so drawn to the soft pink color of her lips. "Thank you, anyway," he said softly.

----

"I must have faith!" the hooded figure exclaimed passionately. "She shall appear if I only believe!" He lifted his hands toward the sky. "As the sun lends me no ear, I pray instead to the twin moons! I beseech thee, wondrous moonlight, grant me my only wish!"

Sweeping his cloak off, the blond, tailed young man cried, "Bring my beloved Dagger to me!"

On the balcony above the stage, Queen Garnet til Alexandros gasped in surprise, almost unwilling to believe her own eyes. It was him. After two long years without him. After finally resigning herself to the fact that he must be dead, he was here. He was actually _here_.

Whirling around, she picked up her long, formal gown and dashed toward the balcony door. Suddenly she was forced to a halt as she found her two faithful knights, Captain Adelbert Steiner and General Beatrix, blocking the exit. Garnet frowned up at them in confusion and dismay, but smiled in relief as they bowed and ushered her through. Careening down the stairs, she raced down the marble hall and burst through the castle door.

In the audience that had gathered to watch the play, Garnet quickly lost her bearings and instead began pushing her way through the crowd. Bumping into someone, the clasp to her necklace came undone, and the heavy pendant went skittering across the ground. For a moment she considered retrieving it. Then she turned and pushed on, blinking back tears. The only thing that mattered to her at the moment was seeing him again.

Shoving her way past the last of the crowds and crying freely now, Garnet clambered onto the stage and jumped headlong into the young man's arms. He spun her in a circle, and when she finally looked up into his blue-green eyes, he smiled innocently at her. Overcome with grief and anger at him for leaving her alone for so long, she punched his chest furiously over and over. He just held her, gently stroking her hair.

The crowd burst into applause, and all of their friends began cheering. Freya Crescent, Quina Quen, and Eiko Carol clapped heartily, Vivi Ornitier and all of his sons jumped up and down, and even Amarant Coral added his applause to the deafening roar of the crowd. Captain Steiner drew General Beatrix to his side, and they both lifted his broadsword into the air.

Pressing her tear-stained cheek to his chest, Garnet spoke. "How did you survive?"

"I didn't have a choice," Zidane Tribal replied softly, holding her tight against him. "I had to live. I had to come home to you." He paused, and a wry grin came to his face. "So I sang your song."

Garnet smiled. "_Our_ song," she said.

"Dagger..." Zidane lifted her chin up with his hand, and pressed his lips to hers.

----

A/N: Sorry the last bit was so familiar to everyone. I just wanted to get the timeline established here, if it wasn't already. Anyway, there it is! I wanted to get in a new chapter before FF-Net goes down for their site maintenance dealie. Hope you liked it! Leave a review if you feel so inclined.

-Waki


	10. A Warm Welcome

A/N: Chapter ten already? My my, where does the time go? It's already 2006, for Pete's sake! But this story doesn't follow _our_ timeline, so don't worry, Earth isn't going to be destroyed any time soon. Anyway, I'm glad you're pleased with the story thus far. I'm especially glad that you like my characters! You know, I was sorely tempted to make Felina's Cockney accent much more obvious; i.e. it would look like this: "Let go o' me 'and, you bloody imbecile!" But that would've made it harder to read, so I decided against it. And now I'm glad, because you seem to like it the way it is. Anyway, on to chapter ten!

Disclaimer: Kuja, Jack, and any other characters I might use, along with locations and whatnot, are property of Square Enix. The song below is Madonna's.

----

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Ten: A Warm Welcome

----

If I'm smart, then I'll run away

But I'm not so I guess I'll stay

Haven't you heard?

I fell in love with a beautiful stranger

-Madonna, "Beautiful Stranger"

----

Alexandria was a very hard place to get into. The city stood on top of a tall cliff above a waterfall, surrounded on all sides by a wide river. To reach it, Claire, Kuja, Jack, and Felina had to ascend a steep, narrow, winding path up the side of the cliff, the spray of the waterfall making the journey dangerously slippery. When they finally reached the top, they had to take a ferry across the river to get to the city itself. If Claire had had any idea how much was involved, she would have insisted on taking Silver Dragon.

Security had been tight when they had reached the city walls, and they had feared Kuja would not be able to get through without being recognized. But Jack had unexpectedly come to the rescue and charmed the female Alexandrian guards with his flirtatious, easy-going ways, despite his surplus of limbs, and they were able to sneak Kuja through undetected. Claire had been truly amazed.

Once inside the city, Jack declared that Kuja's obligation to him was ended, and he took their leave of them. Felina wasted no time in following him, insisting that she had yet to be reimbursed. Through the journey, the pair of criminals had proved themselves valuable companions, and Claire was almost sorry to see them go.

"Aww, don't look so sad," said Jack, patting her shoulder. "It's not like we won't see each other again..." He frowned. "Well, I guess it is. But we'll always have the memories. And hey," he added with a smile, "it's been fun."

Felina came forward and hugged Claire fiercely. "Take care, poppet," she said, squeezing the breath out of her. "I do hope you find a way to save your planet."

"Thanks," said Claire, hugging her back.

"Oh, and Ku-- I mean, hey you," Jack quickly corrected himself, remembering not to say Kuja's name in public. He stuck out one of his hands. "Thanks for lettin' me tag along."

Grudgingly, Kuja grasped his hand and gave it a shake. "You're welcome, Jack. It was... interesting."

Jack grinned. "Interesting. Yeah, I'd say so. Well, I'd better get goin'." He turned to Felina. "You comin', leech?"

"I ain't lettin' you take off wif me money, if that's what you mean," she growled. She flashed a merry grin at Claire and Kuja. "Good luck, you two!" Clapping her hat down on her head, she took off after him.

Claire was simultaneously pleased and uneasy about being alone with Kuja again. Before Jack and Felina had graced them with their presence, it had been different; Kuja had been more aloof and standoffish. But ever since the malboro attack, he had softened dramatically. He didn't speak so harshly, and he smiled at her more often. He found excuses to touch her. She didn't know whether she should be worried or thrilled.

He was undeniably attractive; that was an inescapable fact. All too often Claire caught herself admiring his lithe body or his china blue eyes or his perfect teeth. And he was unfailingly courteous to her... if not always to other people. But he was also a deeply melancholy man with a troubled past and many dark secrets. And she couldn't forget that she wouldn't be with him for much longer, if their plan to reach Earth and save it worked out in time. It was much wiser not to get attached.

Claire glanced up at him as they walked through the city streets, and he caught her eye and smiled warmly. _Don't get attached, don't get attached,_ she thought doggedly.

"Are you hungry?" Kuja suddenly asked, breaking the silence. "Would you like to stop somewhere to eat?"

His words made Claire realize she was absolutely famished. They had brought few provisions with them from when they had left Treno, and they had quickly gone through what little food they had during the last leg of their journey into Alexandria.

"That would be fantastic," she had to admit. Then she frowned as a new thought occurred to her. "But should we really risk it? What if someone recognizes you?"

A look of pain briefly crossed the young man's features, so briefly that Claire couldn't be sure she had even seen it. "I doubt that will be a problem," he said evenly, looking straight ahead. "We've come this far, and I haven't been recognized yet."

"Except by Jack and Felina," she pointed out.

"Indeed." He turned to her with a faint smirk. "But they are gone now, aren't they?"

Claire had to laugh. It must have been such a relief for Kuja to see the back of that four-armed thief as he disappeared into the crowd, his "leech" following closely behind him. "It's almost too bad," she said with a sigh. "I haven't been hit on for about fifteen minutes."

"What?" Kuja stared at her incredulously from under his hood. "You can't possibly mean to say that you _miss_ those little urchins?"

She shrugged, unable to hold back a smile. "They were entertaining, weren't they?" she asked. "Besides," she added, putting on her best lovesick expression, "wasn't Jack just the _dreamiest?_"

The look on Kuja's face was one of disgusted horror until he realized that she was joking. "Oh, what comedy," he muttered.

"Yeah? What would you know about comedy?" Claire snickered as she poked him in the ribs. "Mr. Dead-Serious, Poker-Faced, Don't-Mess-With-Me-Or-I'll-Go-Trance-On-Your-Ass! Oww, let go!"

Kuja had grabbed her offending hand and was holding it prisoner under his arm. He propelled her slowly backward until her back touched the wall of a building. Then he leaned in close to her, one eyebrow raised in a challenge. "_Life_ is a comedy, Miss Giovannucci," he said in a silken whisper, causing the hairs on the back of Claire's neck to rise, "and we are its unwitting players."

Fighting a blush, Claire again tried to yank her hand free. "Geez, what are you, a weapons dealer or an actor?" she demanded.

His pale lips twitched in a brief smile. "Perhaps a little of both," he murmured, staring down at her thoughtfully.

Claire shifted uncomfortably under Kuja's unwavering blue gaze. Something had suddenly changed between them, something so quick and subtle that she had barely noticed when it happened. "What are you looking at?" she asked, frowning playfully.

In response Kuja released her hand, only to snake his arm around her waist. "Why, _you_, my little bird," he said softly, pulling her close to him.

Claire felt her breath catch in her throat as he held her, gently but firmly. She tried mightily to think of some smart remark to answer him with, but it was no use. The look in Kuja's eyes left no room for playing around. This was a man who knew what he wanted. Like a revelation, she suddenly realized that she wanted it, as well.

Slowly, she lifted her hand and let it rest lightly on his shoulder. His skin beneath his cloak was warm and firm.

"When are you going to tell me," she whispered, "why you keep calling me that?"

She felt, rather than heard, the low chuckle deep in Kuja's chest. "Because your song, my canary, warms my frozen heart," he purred into her ear. "Because the Angel of Death has been given the breath of life."

Kuja's own breath was warm on her neck. Claire's eyes drifted shut as she felt his face draw close to hers. Closer and closer, until the lightest of touches graced her lips...

A small child suddenly ran straight into Kuja, causing him to squash Claire flat against the wall she was leaning back against. "Zidane's back, Zidane's back!" the boy shouted in delight as he sprinted off in the opposite direction.

"Zidane?" Claire repeated, her heart pounding as Kuja pulled away from her. That sounded familiar. "Where have I heard that name before?" She turned to Kuja, who had turned angrily toward the child, ready to give him a sound scolding, and her eyes widened. "Hey, what's with you?"

Kuja's back was as rigid as a board. Under his long cloak, his silvery tail was bristled in agitation. "Z-Zidane," he stuttered in disbelief.

"What's wrong?" she persisted, pulling on his sleeve.

In response, Kuja shook his head, and then to her utter bafflement, he began to laugh uproariously. "He made it!" he exclaimed in elation. Claire yelped in surprise as he plucked her off her feet and twirled her around. "He made it, he made it!" he kept shouting like a madman.

Blushing furiously as he set her down again, Claire planted her fists on her hips. "Who made it?" she demanded impatiently. "What are you talking about?"

Grinning, Kuja took her hand and squeezed it. "Zidane," he explained, not helping at all. "I never heard from him, and I thought he was dead, but he made it!" She had never seen him so ecstatic.

Suddenly she remembered where she had heard the name before. Zidane Tribal was the lead actor in that acting troupe, Tantalus. But Jack had said that he had disappeared two years ago. A lot of important things seemed to have happened two years ago.

Looking up at Kuja, who was grinning like an idiot, Claire wanted to rip out her hair in confusion. "Yeah? So what do you care if some actor is alive?" she asked, frustrated.

He opened his mouth to answer, and it was then that Claire realized his hood had slipped off. "It's the demon!" someone shouted. "It's Kuja!"

"Oh, God!" Claire cried. She looked up at Kuja, and his eyes were wide with horror. "Kuja, get out of here, now!"

Kuja took off at a dead run, but there were too many Alexandrian soldiers nearby to hope for any escape. He was quickly caught by the arm, and another soldier grabbed his other arm while a third wrenched his hands behind his back and clapped them in chains. "Claire!" he shouted, not even struggling to break free. "Go to the castle! Find Zidane and tell him about our plan!"

"But I don't even know what he looks like!" she protested in frustration.

"You'll know him when you see him!" he yelled. One of the soldiers struck him brutally in the face with the hilt of a sword. "Go!"

She felt her fists clench in anger at the abuse he was taking without even a trace of protest. "No!" she said adamantly. "I'm in this with you all the way! I'm not leaving you!"

"Claire, do it!" Kuja's eyes had a desperate gleam. "For me!"

Choking back a sob, Claire turned and ran.

----

Jack stretched his four arms over his head as he and Felina emerged from the mini-theater. "That was a pretty good play, don't you think, kitten?" he asked with a smirk. "A little too mushy, but girls like that romantic crap, right?"

"Like you would really know." Taking a coin out of her coat pocket, Felina began fiddling with it. "I thought you was here on urgent business or somefin', Jack. Don't you have anyfin' better to do in Alexandria than go to plays?"

He shrugged. "Not really. I just needed a change of scenery, that's all. After a couple years in Treno, a guy can really start missin' the sunshine."

"Mmm." Jack watched as she began flipping the coin across her knuckles, then with a flick of her wrist, it disappeared. "So when are you gonna give me money back?" she asked casually.

"How'd you do that?" he asked, his eyes wide.

Felina looked up at him and blinked. "Do what then?"

"You made that coin vanish!" She grinned at his amazement. "Show me again!" he demanded.

Raising her arm, she reached out and plucked the coin from his ear. He watched, spellbound, as the coin rolled across her knuckles, vanished again, and then reappeared in her other hand. "Where'd you learn to do that?" he asked, mesmerized.

"Me fiancé, Dace, taught me," Felina replied, returning the coin to her pocket. "In fact, he's the one who taught me that trick of stashin' me best cards up me sleeve."

"Oh, then I have him to thank." Jack was surprised to feel more than a little disappointed. "I didn't know you were engaged."

Felina looked down at her shoes. "I ain't, not anymore," she said quietly. "Dace died during the attack on Alexandria."

Suddenly Jack felt like an idiot. "Geez, I'm so sorry..." A new thought struck him. "Hey, and you must have known - oh, man, I bet you wanted to chop Kuja's head off when you saw him."

"Naw, I didn't." He looked at her sharply. "I thought I would, but when I seen how much he'd changed..." She shrugged slightly. "I just couldn't bring meself to hate him."

"Yeah, well, I don't know about that, but..." He trailed off and sighed. "To be totally honest, I was never gonna turn him in. I mean, I was at first, but... I just didn't want to come to Alexandria alone."

Felina smirked knowingly. "Don't give me that, Jack. You just wanted him to take you 'cause Claire was wif him."

"_No_, well, maybe," he said with a grin, sticking two of his hands in his pockets. "But she's not really my type. I'm more into girls with fire. You know, with a peppy personality." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Maybe with a derby hat?"

She put her hands on her hips. "Hmm, I don't know 'bout that, luv," she replied, though she didn't lose her smile. "I think you just need a girl to beat you into submission."

Jack edged closer to her, encouraged by her amiable smile. "You sayin' you're up to the job?" he asked in a husky voice, slanting his chin down and gazing at her intently.

He never got his answer, because at that moment, Felina suddenly frowned, looking past him. "Claire?" she said worriedly. Jack whipped his head around to see the brunette racing up to them. "Claire, what's the matter? Why ain't Kuja wif you?"

"Kuja's been captured by Alexandrian royal guards!" Claire exclaimed breathlessly as he stopped beside them. "I tried to get into the castle to find some guy named Zidane, but they won't let me in! You guys have to help me!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Jack waved his hands defensively. "Look, sweetheart, I know you like Kuja and everything, but it's no more than he deserves. If you knew what he did..." He shook his head. "There's just no way I'm gettin' involved. If anyone found out we were even _with_ him, we'd be arrested for harborin' an outlaw."

"Come on, Jack!" Felina said angrily, grabbing his sleeve. "Kuja saved our lives! We can't just turn our backs on him! There's gotta be some way we can get into the castle! Think!"

Squeezing his eyes shut, he racked his brains for a solution. "Frick," he muttered. "Okay, I think I have an idea. But if it doesn't work, we're all screwed. Follow me."

----

Claire did not know how those Alexandrian soldiers could stand their uniforms. It was basically just a one-piece bathing suit with a few pieces of armor. She felt like she was practically naked, and every time she walked, the suit kept riding... well, _up_.

Beside her, dressed in Pluto knight garb, Jack gave the unconscious soldiers at their feet another kick for good measure. Claire felt awful about beating three people senseless, dragging them into an alley, and taking their uniforms, but there was really no other way they were going to get into the castle.

"This is by far the lowest thing I've ever done," she said, putting the sword in her sheath.

Felina sighed. "I'd better get me hat back, or you're gettin' me a new one."

"Relax, I never said it was a _good_ idea," Jack replied, draping Claire's long jacket over himself to conceal his extra pair of arms. "By the way, ladies, fabulous legs, if you don't mind my sayin' so."

Felina punched his shoulder. "Bloody cheek," she growled.

"_Oww_. All right, all right. Let's go before someone sees us."

In their new attire, it was not difficult to take the ferry to Alexandria Castle. After they crossed the moat, they marched directly toward the gate, looking important and not stopping to answer to anyone. And surprisingly, no one stopped them. Once inside the castle, they stopped to consult each other.

"This place is huge," Claire whispered. "How are we going to find this Zidane guy?"

"Beats me," Jack hissed back. "I only saw him once, and I can't remember what he looks like. Did Kuja describe him to you?"

She shook her head. "He just said I'd know him when I saw him."

"Someone's comin'," whispered Felina. "Make up your minds. We're startin' to look suspicious."

They quickly made their way through an arched doorway into a dining hall, filled with bustling servants. From the far room, there was a crash. "_Aiya!_ No! You dum-dum!" came an angry voice. "You no can add flour yet! It ruin whole recipe!"

"Ugh, it's one of those Qus, I can tell," Jack muttered. "Let's _not_ go in there."

Puzzled, Claire was about to ask him what a Qu was, when she heard voices in the chamber they had just left. Carefully, they crept toward the doorway and listened.

"Please, it's only for one night," said a female voice. "The servants want to have a banquet to celebrate your return. Then everything will go back to normal, I promise."

"I don't know, Dagger," a second voice replied. "I don't want anyone to go to any trouble. I mean, I'm the one who made everyone worry. I don't deserve any fancy banquet. Besides, you know that rich food really isn't for me."

Jack nudged Claire. "That's him," he whispered. "I recognize his voice."

Without thinking, Claire rushed through the doorway into the room, then suddenly skidded to a halt on a slick marble floor as her eyes fell on the figures before her. There was a teenaged girl with long brown hair, dressed in a beautiful white gown. And next to her, his long, furry tail swinging lazily back and forth, was a young man with a mop of shaggy, sun-bleached hair.

She stared at him for a moment, blinking. "Zidane Tribal?" she asked slowly.

"Yeah, that's me," he replied, smiling politely. "What can I do for you?"

She pulled off her helmet and took a deep breath. "My name is Claire Giovannucci," she said. "I'm here on behalf of Kuja."

Zidane's smile quickly faded, and he walked up to her. "Kuja?" he repeated. "Tell me, what about him? Is he all right?"

"He's here," said Claire. "He's just been captured by royal guards, but he has to talk to you."

"Claire, wait up!" Jack and Felina came running into the chamber, skidding to a halt beside her. Jack looked from Zidane to the girl, and his eyes widened. "Holy crap, it's Queen Garnet," he breathed. Hastily dropping to one knee, he elbowed Felina, and she followed suit.

"He's _alive?_" Ignoring Jack and Felina, the girl in the white dress came forward, her brown eyes wide in disbelief. "Zidane, is what she says true?" He hesitated, biting his lip uncertainly. "Zidane! It _is_ true, isn't it? Why didn't you tell me?"

The young man shook his head wearily. "I'm sorry, Dagger," he sighed. "I was going to tell you, but everything's been so crazy since I got here..." He took the queen's hand in his gloved one. "Kuja survived, that day at the Iifa Tree. I saved his life, then he saved mine, and last I saw of him, he was alive."

Suddenly he frowned and turned to Claire. "But I didn't think he'd ever come back here, not after what he did. And you say he's been arrested? Where is he?"

"I don't know," she replied desperately. "But he told me to find you. We're on a mission, see, and--"

"Your Majesty!" a sudden voice shouted, interrupting her. All five heads turned to see no less than a dozen guards dragging in an unresisting, securely manacled Kuja, beaten and bruised and half-conscious. Jack and Felina scrambled to their feet, their eyes wide. "Your Majesty, we found this monster, still alive, in the city," said one of the guards. "What should we do with him?"

"Kuja!" Claire cried in a strangled voice. From Kuja's battered appearance, it was easy to see that the royal guards had taken their time, as well as certain liberties, in bringing their quarry to the castle. Claire felt new rage simmering in her. She started forward, but one of the guards pointed a sword at her. Jack came up behind her and put a protective hand on her shoulder.

"We also found two soldiers and a Pluto knight, unconscious in an alley," the guard said. "Their uniforms were stolen. And we found some clothes behind some crates, along with this." She lifted up a red derby hat.

There was a long, tense silence as the queen deliberated on these new developments. Jack and Felina drew to Claire's side and stood defiantly. But Claire's eyes were on Kuja's, glassy and defeated as he stood surrounded by the royal guards. She knew he had given up.

After an eternity had passed, Queen Garnet finally took a deep breath. "Leave them to me," she said firmly; "all of them. I shall contend with them myself." The guards remained still, hesitant. "Am I being unclear? I _said_, leave them to me. Release the prisoner and go!"

There were murmurs of "Yes, your Majesty", and the shackles were removed from Kuja's wrists. One by one, the guards dispersed, and Kuja collapsed to his knees, coughing weakly. In an instant Claire was at his side, pulling him up. Her stomach lurched as she took in his injuries. His tail, bent at an odd angle, curled involuntarily around her waist. She tried to speak, but found she couldn't get a sound out.

Zidane stood motionless during all of this, his arms folded across his chest. Now he came forward and stopped in front of Kuja, his expression unreadable. "Hello, Kuja," he said quietly.

Kuja opened his mouth, then winced. "Hello, Zidane," he answered weakly. "I must say, I'm glad to see you alive. Though I doubt you can say the same of me." He turned his eyes on the queen and coughed again. "Your Majesty."

"Don't speak to me, Kuja," Garnet said in a low voice. "Don't you dare speak to me. You should be grateful I didn't have you executed the moment I saw you."

Kuja nodded and fell silent, and Claire tightened her hold on his arm. "Dagger," Zidane said in a half-reproachful, half-pleading voice.

Claire swallowed, finally finding her voice. "Your Majesty," she said unsteadily. "Before Kuja was arrested, he and I were on a mission. I'm from a planet called Earth, and if we don't find a way back, it's going to be destroyed." The queen raised a skeptical eyebrow, but Claire wouldn't be stopped. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. And we don't have a lot of time left."

"She's tellin' the truth, your Queenliness," Jack piped in. "And if you don't believe her, just go to Treno and ask Doctor Tot. He can tell you all about it."

Queen Garnet blinked. "Doctor Tot?" she repeated, frowning. "He knows about this?" Suddenly she narrowed her eyes. "Doctor Tot was my tutor. He is a good, honest man; he would never help you."

"Dagger, please," said Zidane, putting a hand on her arm. "They obviously went to a lot of effort just to see us. Maybe we should just calm down and listen to what they have to say."

Garnet sighed irritably. "Zidane..."

He gave her arm a squeeze. "He saved my life, Dagger," he said quietly.

The queen stared up into his eyes for a long moment. Then she turned, and her eyes connected with Kuja's. Finally she sighed again. "Very well," she said. "I will listen. But we can't stay here; if Captain Steiner were to see Kuja, I doubt even I would be able to restrain him. We'll have to speak in my chambers. Follow me."

----

A/N: Oh snap, what's gonna happen? What's the queen gonna do to Kuja? Why do I put my characters through such abuse? To answer the last question, who knows? Maybe I'm just an angst junkie. Anyway, this chapter was some kind of fun to write. Especially the near-kiss between Kuja and Claire, and the Jack/Felina flirtiness. What can I say, I'm also a romance junkie. But enough of my thoughts; what are yours? Didst thou likest mine chapter? Let me know! The review button's down there!

-Waki


	11. No More Secrets

A/N: Hi peeps! Sorry about the wait. I've been sick, and therefore not motivated at all. But I think I'm finally getting better now. Thanks for all your reviews, by the way. Looks like we've got some new readers with us! Thank _you_ for your interest. And to anyone who has visited my DeviantArt gallery, thank _you_ as well! Okay, enough with the thank yous. Here it is at last, chapter eleven. Be prepared for angst.

Disclaimer: Must we? The glorious privilege of owning Final Fantasy IX belongs to Square Enix. I own nothing of importance.

----

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Eleven: No More Secrets

----

As the foursome followed Queen Garnet and Zidane to her royal chambers, Felina's head swiveled back and forth as she gaped at her lavishly appointed surroundings. The shining marble columns, the meticulously carved architecture, the elaborate tapestries... she had never seen anything so beautiful in her life. Granted, she hadn't traveled much in her nineteen years, and she was easily impressed. But anybody who stepped inside this castle would be forced to admit that it was stunning.

"Blimey, is this ever posh!" she exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. She elbowed Jack, who was walking beside her. "D'you think they'll let us spend the night here in one of their swanky guest rooms?"

"Mmm, I don't know, kitten," he muttered doubtfully. "I think it all depends on how things go between Kuja and Queen Garnet. And right now, it doesn't look good for him."

Felina shrugged. "I wouldn't worry, Jack," she said airily. "The queen seems like a nice enough sort." Suddenly Jack looked oddly uncomfortable. "What is it?"

He leaned in close to her and lowered his voice to a whisper. Unexpectedly, Felina felt herself shiver at his close proximity. "I think I might have stolen a thousand gil from her in Treno once," he replied, his face reddening to match his hair in his embarrassment.

For a moment Felina's gray eyes widened in surprise. Then she snorted with laughter. "No foolin'!" she choked. "You silly twit! Don't you ever think before you do somefin' stupid?"

"Hey, shut up," Jack hissed, indignant. "It's not funny. If she recognizes me, not only am _I_ totally screwed, but it'll probably mean the end of Kuja and Claire's mission. And then it's goodbye to her planet." He shook his head in shame. "I should get out of here. I'm gonna ruin everything."

In response, Felina slipped her hand into one of his, surprising herself even more than Jack. "Cheer up, luv," she said kindly. "Everyfin' will turn out all right. You'll see."

His exotic golden eyes, rimmed with black _kohl_, met hers, and his smooth brow wrinkled. "How do you know?" he asked quietly.

She was about to answer when she suddenly collided into Kuja as he came to an abrupt stop in front of her. He winced in pain from his injuries and turned around, giving her an odd look. "Sorry, guv," she mumbled sheepishly, patting his arm.

"We've arrived in the queen's private chambers," he said, by way of explanation.

"Oh," she said, and looked around in surprise. Strangely, during her conversation with Jack, she hadn't even noticed that they had climbed two staircases and entered into a large, elegant bedroom, with a huge, comfortable-looking bed draped with a gauze canopy. Felina whistled. "Makes you envy what you don't got, eh Jack?"

The redhead shrugged. "Meh. I ain't impressed."

As the group entered, Queen Garnet closed the door and turned toward them. "All right, we're here," she said flatly. "As I promised, I will listen to your case. Miss-- I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"Just call me Claire," the brunette replied.

"Claire, then: you said you were from another planet?" The queen sounded skeptical.

"That's right," Claire said firmly, refusing to be intimidated. _That's a girl!_ thought Felina, mentally cheering her on. "A planet called Earth. I'm not sure how I got here, but I met Kuja in Conde Petie, and he agreed to help me find a way back. He said there was this legend, see, that talked about a technologically advanced planet - that's Earth - that was destroyed long ago by some madman. Well, Gaia's past is my planet's present, and if we don't get to Earth and stop this guy..." She swallowed. "Well... it's going to happen very soon."

Kuja cleared his throat, ignoring the look Garnet gave him. "I thought Doctor Tot might be of some help, since he has so much knowledge of history," he added. "He told of a place on Vile Island which connected to another world. We have reason to believe this world might be Earth."

"_Vile Island?_" Zidane repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah, that's what _I_ said," Jack muttered.

Garnet shook her head, trying to assess the situation. "If all this is true," she said, "then why have you come here?"

At this Claire blinked. "Uhh... That I don't know. Kuja?"

"We have come for your help, your Highness," Kuja said quietly. "Vile Island is a very wild and dangerous place. I have been training Claire to defend herself in battle, but she is still inexperienced. And because of my... my condition--" Here his voice hitched slightly, and both Felina and Claire frowned in confusion. "I am not as strong as I used to be. You and your friends _are_ strong."

The queen stared at him in astonishment. "I don't believe it," she breathed. "You're asking for our help? You would _dare_ to ask for our assistance after what you've done?" She shook her head bitterly. "Kuja, how can we even be sure of your motives? You've proved that you can't be trusted."

Felina looked at Kuja's bruised and battered face, and couldn't help but feel pity as he stared listlessly down at the floor. Maybe Jack was right, she thought; maybe everything wouldn't turn out all right.

When Kuja spoke again, it was barely above a whisper. "Your Highness," he said, his gaze still directed at his feet. "There are six billion people that live on Earth, including Claire's family and friends. If we don't act, they will all die." Finally he raised his eyes to the queen's. "I know I don't deserve your help. But I beg you, don't deny it of Claire, or her people. They need it."

Holding his gaze, Garnet walked toward him, her heels clicking in the silence that followed. "And you, Kuja," she said quietly. "Why do _you_ need it?"

Breaking eye contact, he looked at Claire, who was biting her lip nervously. Felina clearly saw the conflict on his face, and she sighed. How long was he going to keep it from Claire? The longer he waited, the more angry and hurt she would be at being deceived. But Felina had promised she wouldn't be the one to tell her, and she would be as good as her word. _Just tell her, you git!_ she thought in frustration.

"Claire," he finally said, "could you leave us for a moment?" Felina pursed her lips in disappointment. "Jack and Felina, too."

"Excuse me?" Claire put her hands on her hips, offended. "Why should _I_ have to leave? This is as much my concern as yours, if not more."

Kuja closed his eyes, clearly trying to force down his annoyance. "I know that," he replied in a level voice. "And I'm sorry, but there is something I must discuss with Zidane and the queen. Privately."

The young Earth woman stared at him in disbelief. "Oh, don't give me that, Kuja," she said angrily. "Enough secrets, all right? I'm sick of it! In case you've forgotten, my home is about to be destroyed! We don't have time for all your little mystery games!"

Interrupting her tirade, Kuja placed his hands on her shoulders. "Claire, please," he said softly. "Please, let me have a moment with my brother."

Her eyes wide, Claire looked from Kuja to Zidane. "Your brother," she repeated, the anger fading from her voice. She craned her neck to look up at him again. "All right," she said with a sigh. "We'll get out of your hair."

Kuja smiled gently. "Thank you." Lifting one hand from her shoulder, he held it briefly against her cheek, and Felina could almost see the sparks flying between them. Then his arms fell back down to his sides, and the moment was over.

"Come on, guys," said Claire, and Jack and Felina followed her out the door.

----

Kuja's brother. Now it all made sense. Why they were here, why Kuja had been so ecstatic to hear that Zidane was alive, all of it. When Claire had seen the blond's tail, she had immediately suspected some sort of familial connection. But _brothers!_ Of course! Well, good looks obviously ran in the family; Zidane was quite the cutie. But that didn't matter. He clearly had a thing going with the queen, and to be honest...

To be honest, Claire was becoming _quite_ attached to his brother.

She knew she shouldn't be, but she was. Kuja really hadn't left her any other option. So the more she thought about it, it actually wasn't her fault. And how could everyone say he was so horrible? He was so polite and kind and protective. A little rude at first, maybe, but that was when they had first met. They hadn't known each other back then.

_And you think you know him now?_ a tiny voice inside her head whispered.

Claire tried to ignore it, but it was true. Kuja had many secrets, none of which he had bothered to tell her. It was a little insulting, but he had assured her that he did trust her. He was trying to protect her, he'd said.

He'd never said from _what_, exactly.

"Man, I'm hungry," said Jack, breaking into her thoughts as they roamed the corridors of the castle. "Maybe we can get the cook to give us something to eat. I'm pretty sure I could find the kitchen again."

"I want to find me clothes before we do anyfin' else," Felina replied irritably. "This soldier's uniform is drivin' me crazy."

"It's drivin' _me_ crazy, too," said Jack, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Felina punched him hard in the shoulder. "Oww, frick! Okay, sorry. Maybe the soldiers put them somewhere. One of them had your hat, remember?"

As they turned a corner, they were suddenly forced to a halt as a tall, hulking man in a suit of armor stood in their path. "You there, you are not a Pluto Knight," he said loudly in Jack's direction. "State your name."

"Uhh, Jack," the redhead answered, shrugging.

"There is no Pluto Knight Jack!" the man bellowed, stamping his feet furiously. "I demand to know why you are dressed in the livery of the queen's royal guard! Speak!"

Jack flinched at the knight's booming voice, but Claire stepped forward. "My name is Claire, and these are my friends, Felina and Jack. We are personal guests of her Royal Highness, Queen Garnet, and Master Zidane Tribal," she said importantly. "And they have requested that you, Sir Knight--"

"Captain Adelbert Steiner," the man said, his bluster rapidly faltering.

"Captain Steiner," Claire continued, "are to give us the grand tour of this castle."

"After findin' us something to eat," Jack added.

"And findin' our clothes for us," Felina chimed in.

Steiner stared at each of them, his confusion all too evident on his hatchet face. "Her Majesty requested it?" he asked uncertainly. "And Zidane?"

"That they did," said Felina, nodding grandly. "It's a rare privilege, to be sure."

The knight shook his head, his chain mail clinking. "In that case," he said slowly, "I should certainly be honored to comply with the queen's wishes. If you would be so good as to follow me, I will inquire about your clothing."

"I thank you for your assistance, Captain Steiner," Claire said respectfully. "Your queen must be proud to have such a noble knight in her employ." Jack chuckled under his breath.

A short time later, the three were relaxing in the galley in their own clothes, munching on some moist slices of coffee cake. Jack fiddled absently with the pots hanging from the ceiling, and Felina sighed happily, patting her stomach with her gloved hand. "Thank you, Mr. Steiner, sir," she said, tipping her hat to the knight, who stood dutifully to one side. "That really hit the spot."

"It was my pleasure," Steiner replied with a smile. "Any friends of her Highness and Master Zidane are friends of mine."

_He's not such a bad guy_, thought Claire, returning his pleasant smile with a twinge of regret. She felt despicable for taking advantage of him.

She cleared her throat. "So, Captain Steiner," she said conversationally, "how did you come into the queen's service?"

"Well, actually, Miss Claire," he began, "I have been in the royal guard since long before her Highness became the current queen; it's been twenty years, in fact, since I pledged my allegiance to king and country. Twenty years." He shook his head in amazement, then continued, warming to the topic. "That was when her Highness's parents, the king and queen, were alive."

"You mean they're dead?" Claire asked.

Steiner gave her a strange look. "Yes, Miss Claire," he replied. "The king died of consumption three years ago, and Queen Brahne was killed shortly thereafter."

Claire's eyes widened in surprise. "Killed?" she repeated. "How?"

Suddenly Felina coughed loudly, and Claire turned toward her, her eyebrows raised. Felina shook her head in warning.

After a short, uncomfortable silence, Steiner cleared his throat. "Queen Brahne was killed when her marine fleet was destroyed off the coast of the Outer Continent." He narrowed his eyes. "Surely you have heard of the incident?"

"Uhh... I'm not from around here," Claire said meekly.

"I see." Steiner looked at her for a moment longer, then shrugged slightly. "In that case, you would not have heard what happened. The queen had been doing business with a weapons dealer named Kuja, who--"

"_Kuja?_" Claire blurted.

"Aww, bloody hell," Felina murmured under her breath.

"Ah, so you have heard of Kuja," Steiner said with a knowing nod. "He provided the queen with powerful summon magic, stolen from the princess, along with hordes of black mages, soldiers created from the Mist." His face darkened. "An evil man. I shall never forget what he did."

Claire listened, too shocked to speak, as the knight continued. "Blinded with greed, Queen Brahne destroyed kingdom after kingdom with the weapons Kuja had sold her. But she did not stop with the Mist Continent. She was not satisfied until she had conquered all of Gaia. Princess Garnet, Zidane, and others had gone to the Outer Continent in search of Kuja, when Brahne's fleet arrived.

"I am not certain why the queen tried to kill Kuja. Perhaps she felt that the greed flowing through her was his doing. Or perhaps he had merely outlived his usefulness. In any case, she summoned her most powerful eidolon, the dragon king Bahamut, to finish off Kuja. But it was her own undoing. Somehow, Kuja made the dragon turn on her, and it wiped out her fleet in a giant ball of flames. It destroyed them all."

Claire felt her skin grow cold. When she tried to speak, only a harsh croak came out. "He _killed_ them?" she said hoarsely.

"Yes; but he was not yet finished taking lives," Steiner said bitterly. "With Bahamut under his control, he turned his bloodlust on Alexandria, burning houses and killing innocent people. Princess Garnet tried to protect the kingdom, but even her strongest eidolon, Alexander, was not enough against Kuja's airship, the Invincible. With one blast, Alexandria was destroyed. Even now, we are still reconstructing what was demolished. But not all things can be repaired."

Felina wiped fiercely at her eyes, and Jack put a hand on her shoulder, murmuring something soothing in her ear.

"But as devastating as it was seeing Alexandria in ruins," the knight continued, "it was nothing compared to the destruction of Terra."

"Terra?" Claire echoed weakly.

"Terra was Gaia's sister planet. It was where Kuja and Zidane were born, or rather created. They, along with others, were to be the vessels which would carry the souls of the original inhabitants of Terra. They were created by a man named Garland. Genomes, he called them. But Kuja felt intense hatred and jealousy toward his younger brother Zidane, who was to replace him as Garland's angel of death. So when Zidane was a child, Kuja took him to Gaia and left him there.

"Zidane, the princess, myself, and the rest of our friends followed Kuja back to Terra. Garland was done with him, and wanted Zidane to take his place. But Kuja rebelled against his creator and killed him, then took his fury out on Terra itself. We managed to escape with the other Genomes, but we could not stop Kuja from destroying Terra, his home planet."

Felina was moaning and pulling at her hair. Suddenly Claire spun around toward her and Jack, inexplicably angry. "You guys _knew_," she said accusingly. "You both knew, and you didn't tell me."

"You said you didn't want to know," Jack said quietly. "You said it didn't matter to you."

"That was before I knew he was a mass-murderer!" Claire shouted furiously, tears springing to her eyes. She collapsed to her knees on the galley floor, a black wave of nausea sweeping over her. "Oh, God," she said weakly. "How could I have been so stupid?"

Felina knelt down next to her. "You couldn't have known, poppet," she said gently, placing her hand on Claire's. "And I promised Kuja I wouldn't be the one to tell you."

"_What?_" Steiner exploded, his voice causing the post to rattle together. "Promised _Kuja?_ What are you talking about? What is going on?"

Claire could barely hear him. She kept seeing Kuja's face in her head, and every time she felt so betrayed, so disgusted that she really felt she might vomit. She had respected him, had trusted him. But all she had felt for him was based on a lie. And all the things people had said about him; fiend, monster, demon. It was all true.

Not only that, she realized with a surge of rage, he had kept it from her. He had said he was trying to _protect_ her. Now she knew that was all a lie. He knew that if she ever found out the truth about him, about who he really was, she would leave him in a heartbeat. Maybe she would have, too. But hearing it from his own lips would have been infinitely better than hearing it from a stranger's.

It was then she knew she couldn't stay with him any longer. The mere thought of him made her think of all the atrocious things he had done. How could she ever face him again?

Suddenly, from somewhere deep in her vault of memories, she heard Jack's voice in her head: _"You know, Kuja isn't such a great guy. If you knew half the stuff that he's done, you wouldn't touch him with a thirty-foot pole."_

Tears burned her eyes as she remembered what she had said to him in reply: _"That's why we're so different, Jack. I don't condemn people for what they've done in the past. The only thing that matters is who a person is on the inside."_

She blinked her eyes furiously, ashamed at herself for forgetting her own words. But how could she have known? This wasn't like stealing food for your starving family. Kuja had _killed_ people. Countless people.

_Kuja_, she thought, shaking her head in disgust. _How can you possibly live with what you've done?_

----

Queen Garnet dropped her hands back down to her sides as she finished her cure spell. As Zidane watched, the cuts and bruises on Kuja's face and neck slowly faded, and the kink in his tail worked itself out. He rotated his shoulder experimentally. Then he bowed low, the feathers in his hair bobbing. "Thank you, your Highness," he said quietly.

"Don't thank me, Kuja," she said stiffly. "You should be thanking Zidane for persuading me to hear you out. As it is, I'm still not quite sure I believe your story about this... planet in danger."

Zidane winced at Garnet's harsh words. He had hoped if he ever saw Kuja again, he would have a chance to straighten things out with him. But it certainly hadn't turned out as he'd hoped. He could understand Garnet's feelings toward his brother; after all, he had been responsible for the destruction of her kingdom and the death of her mother. Still, she could keep in mind that Kuja had saved his life. That had to count for something, right?

"I quite understand your position, your Highness," Kuja was saying. "I have given you no reason to trust me. My word must mean absolutely nothing to you, so naturally any assurance I might give you would be utterly useless. But I can give you the testimony of several people that I am a changed man. My companions, Jack and Felina, will confirm that; as will Doctor Tot. And Claire..." Zidane saw his pale face flush slightly. "Well, she can confirm that I have saved her from danger numerous times. All I've done in the past is just that: in the past."

It was a pretty good speech; Zidane had to give him that. He looked at Garnet in expectation, in hope, but she shook her head.

"Maybe all that is in the past for you," she said. "But for countless other people, it is still all too real. And even the witness of other people of your... your change of heart... doesn't erase the fact that you took many innocent lives. The fact of the matter, Kuja, is this: you are a criminal, and criminals cannot go unpunished."

_Crap_, thought Zidane, casting a helpless glance at Kuja.

His brother caught his look. "It's all right, Zidane," he said with a sad kind of half-smile. "I was prepared for punishment before I ever came to Alexandria, and I will not try to escape it." He turned to Garnet. "But my promise to Claire cannot be ignored, your Highness. I gave her my word that I would help her in any way I can in her mission to save Earth. If you must execute judgment on me - and if it _is_ death, so be it - I beg that you withhold my sentence until I have fulfilled my oath."

Garnet gave him a strange look. "Really," she replied dubiously, arching a brown eyebrow. "You, Kuja, actually _want_ to keep a promise. Is that even possible?"

Zidane cleared his throat. "Yeah, uh, no offense, Kuja, but... Dagger's right. That isn't like you at all. I don't know how many times you've betrayed us in the past, but I know I couldn't count them all on one hand."

"You seem to forget that I am a changed man," said Kuja impatiently. Then he took a deep, calming breath. "I understand your skepticism. In fact, before I met Claire, I would not have given a second thought to keeping a promise. But I..." His smooth brow wrinkled, and his voice dropped to barely more than a whisper. "I care for her. I care about what she thinks of me. And I can't let her down because... because I..."

A tiny thought that had formed in Zidane's head had started to grow into an inkling as Kuja spoke, and now it blossomed into a full-fledged gut feeling. "Kuja," he said, not trusting himself to voice his intuitions, "what exactly are you saying? Why are you _really_ helping Claire?"

Suddenly Kuja looked uncomfortable, which only raised Zidane's suspicion. "I don't know, exactly," he answered slowly, his color rising. "I can't quite explain it... but..." He cleared his throat and gave Zidane a decidedly sheepish look, his tail lashing back and forth. "Remember the letter you wrote to me, when you left my palace? And you told me why you had to leave?"

Zidane blinked. "Yeahhh..."

"Well, you said... that if I ever fell in love, I would understand."

He took in his brother's flushed cheeks and thrashing tail, and sighed. "Oh, no. Kuja, _no_."

"Zidane, wait just--"

"Are you out of your mind?" Zidane paced up and down Garnet's chambers, his own tail now whipping around furiously. "She's from another freaking planet, Kuja! Didn't you ever stop to think that _maybe_ that's a problem? Or what about your 'condition', as you insist on calling it?" He made quotation marks in his elder brother's face. "Why don't you call it what it really is?"

"Zidane, will you _kindly_ shut up?" Kuja growled irritably. Zidane glared at him; clearly, his older brother still retained his temper. "Yes, in fact, I _have_ taken all of those facts into consideration. I am aware that there are... difficulties, to say the least, in my situation. But I can assure you that my feelings for Claire are quite beyond my control." His blue eyes took on a tender look as he spoke. "She is... exceptional. She's brought things out in me that I never knew were there. I'm not sure how she does it." He shook his head. "In any case, it is unlikely that I will act on my feelings. I'm sure it would only complicate matters."

He inhaled deeply and turned to Garnet, who had remained silent through this entire revelation. "In answer to your earlier question, your Highness; that is, why do I need your help... Claire's planet is on the brink of destruction. If we fail, billions of people will die." He swallowed hard. "I've already been responsible for enough death. I simply cannot stand by and let it happen again. Not if I can do something to stop it."

Zidane looked from Kuja to Garnet. She was staring at his brother intently, with a look almost of amazement on her face. "Well, I never thought I'd live to see it," she said softly. "Kuja, in love." She stepped forward until she was face to face with him, and although Kuja was much taller than her, she seemed to radiate an authority which could not be ignored. "You are right, Kuja," she said after a long silence. "We can't stand by and let this happen to Claire's home." She closed her eyes as she spoke the next words: "We will help you."

Kuja's proud, haughty eyes dimmed for a moment, and his firm lips shook ever so slightly. Then he regained his cool, self-possessed manner and bowed low. "Thank you, your Highness," he replied.

----

A/N: Oy, this chapter pretty much killed me. Just describing all the things Kuja did... made me realize what a _not_ nice person he was. And yet I kind of don't care... Well anyway, there it is. Claire knows. But what will she do with that knowledge? Stay tuned for chapter twelve (wow, twelve already?) in which she confronts Kuja about his past... and his "condition". Please review and tell me what you thought!

-Waki


	12. Moonlight Confessions

A/N: Hey fellow FF fans! Hope you weren't too upset by the sort-of cliff-hanger. Just look at it this way: you didn't have to wait too long. Anyway, thanks for your reviews. Ooh! Have you got a surprise waiting for you in this chapter. Several, in fact. But I must warn you, there are Jack-related spoilers ahead. But it isn't anything huge; I mean, it's not like he was ever a big character in the game. Somehow I doubt you'll mind any spoilers about him. So go nuts!

Disclaimer: I do not own any element of Final Fantasy IX whatsoever. The only characters I own are Claire and Felina, and frankly, they're not as cool as Kuja and Jack. Am I right?

----

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Twelve: Moonlight Confessions

----

As Claire sat down at the long dinner table, she scanned the banquet hall's other occupants. There were Queen Garnet and Zidane at one end of the table, looking all lovey-dovey. Near them were Captain Steiner and a young woman with an eye patch introduced as General Beatrix, and they seemed like they had something between them. Jack and Felina sat on either side of Claire, and Eiko Carol, a little girl with purple hair and a horn on her forehead, sat next to a kid named Vivi Ornitier, whose giant floppy hat covered most of his face. There was also a rat-like person named Freya Crescent, who said she was from some place called Burmecia, a rough-looking guy with red hair named Amarant, and a strange entity with broken speech known as Quina. Finally there was the acting troupe Tantalus, consisting of Baku, Blank, Marcus, Cinna, Ruby, and three bovine guys who looked exactly the same.

The only person who was not present was Kuja. Queen Garnet had explained that word had gotten around quickly that Kuja was alive, and if he showed himself at dinner, his life would be less than secure.

And that was for the best, Claire told herself; even if the rest of the dinner party didn't kill him on sight, she didn't think she could look him in the eye without screaming, "Why didn't you tell me?" and throwing breadsticks at him. And screaming and throwing things at dinner would be bad manners.

_Yes_, she thought, her throat tight, _it's better this way._

Little waiters in white chef hats began issuing into the room, depositing platter after platter of mouthwatering dishes. Felina rubbed her hands together, and Jack nearly fainted at the sight, but all the food tasted like styrofoam to Claire. Conversations broke out in various corners of the table about all sorts of fascinating experiences, of journeys, battles, and strange places and people. But Claire only listened with half an ear.

Looking down at her plate, she was surprised to see a single teardrop fall onto her wrist. Quickly excusing herself, she pushed back her chair and stood up.

"Claire?" Jack said worriedly, his mouth full of bread. "You okay?"

Not bothering to answer, Claire hurried out of the banquet hall and retreated to her guest room. After securely locking the door behind her, she sat down on the canopy bed. Then, quite calmly, she lowered her head into her hands, sobbing quietly to herself. She didn't know why she was crying. It made no sense. But she kept crying anyway, watching the tears fall into her lap and seep into the fabric of her trousers.

Suddenly a noise like a gunshot startled her, and she wiped her eyes and sat up straight, listening. It couldn't have been a gunshot; they didn't have guns on Gaia. What was it then?

She heard the sound again, and instantly she knew what it was. It was a cough. It was a harsh, rattling, damned infernal cough.

Clenching her fists angrily, Claire stalked over to the window and looked out over the darkening city and the two rising moons. But she couldn't ignore it. She could feel the pain from every one of those agonizing tubercular coughs through the walls. Muttering a curse to herself, she turned irritably away from the window and tiptoed out of the guest room and into the hall.

Judging from the direction of the coughs, it sounded like they were coming from the room two doors to the right. She stood outside the door, debating whether or not to knock. Then, giving the knob an experimental twist, she pushed the door silently open.

In the dark guest room, Kuja sat by the open window, his thin shoulders shaking with each painful cough. The light from the twin moons shone down on his pale face and silver hair, making him appear almost luminous. For a moment, the anger and resentment Claire felt toward him was overpowered by concern, and she steeled herself and stepped inside.

"Kuja?" she said softly, closing the door behind her. His head whipped around in surprise and embarrassment. "I heard you coughing. Are you all right?"

He stood up indignantly. "Claire, what are you doing?" he demanded. "You should be at dinner." Another bout of coughing cut him short, and he turned away, covering his mouth with his hand. Claire walked quickly to him and put her hand on his shoulder, but he pushed her roughly away. "Stop it!" he choked, turning his back to her. "Just leave me alone!"

"No," she said firmly.

Kuja glared at her over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed. "I beg your pardon?" he asked in a low, menacing voice.

In response, Claire came to his side and grabbed his hand forcefully in hers. "I know what's wrong with you, Kuja," she said quietly. "I know why you're always up all night coughing. I know all about your 'condition'." Willing her voice to remain steady, she looked up at him. "You're dying, aren't you?"

Prying his hand out of hers, Kuja took an involuntary step back, staring at her in shocked dismay. He opened his mouth, but he couldn't seem to get a full sentence out. "I... H-How did...?" Finally giving up on speaking coherently, he dropped his gaze and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Claire nodded in reply, outwardly calm, but inside her heart plummeted into her stomach. She had known his answer before he had given it, but somehow this confirmation made it real; _too_ real.

She sat down silently in one of the chairs by the window, watching as a dark, heavy cloud scudded across the sky, blotting out the moons. After a while she spoke. "How long do you have left?"

Kuja was quickly recovering his pride. He folded his arms in front of his chest and took a deep breath, though his tail was still twitching back and forth. "Several months, perhaps; a year at the most," he said in a deliberate monotone. "I feel it... getting worse, day by day." He cleared his throat. "I think Garland, the man who... created me, knew I was defective. So he put a... a kind of time limit in me. I don't have much longer."

Claire felt her eyes well with tears, and quickly blinked them back. It was no use lamenting the inevitable, she told herself; if it was going to happen, there was no stopping it. Still, she couldn't keep the tremor out of her voice as she murmured, "I'm so sorry."

He shoved his hands in his trouser pockets as he stared blankly out the window. "I'm not," he said woodenly after a moment. "I deserve to die after everything I've done."

Claire swallowed. "I know what you did," she blurted before she could stop herself.

At this Kuja's entire body stiffened, but he merely nodded, his gaze still fixed out the window. He tried to speak, faltered, then tried again. "How did you find out?" he asked in a tight voice.

She looked down at her hands. "Captain Steiner told me."

Kuja nodded again, his set features and rigid frame contrasting with his lashing tail. "Well, then," he said, his tone deceptively light, "I suppose... that this is goodbye."

Claire's head shot up in surprise. "What?"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, Claire," Kuja said bitterly. He refused to meet her gaze. "Don't pretend that you don't hate me. I can see through pretense, and believe me, I really don't think I could bear it. So just go."

Her throat tightened, and her fists clenched in her lap. "Is that what you think?" she asked quietly. "You really think I hate you?"

"Oh, why wouldn't you?" he suddenly snarled, turning to face her. "After all, I am a monster, aren't I? I did kill thousands of innocent people, didn't I? Why _wouldn't_ you hate me, Claire? You have every reason to!"

She stared up into his eyes, which were filled with shame and self-hatred. At that moment she received a glimpse of the agony he went through constantly, living from day to day with the knowledge of what he had done. She had to wonder if she would have killed herself if she was in his shoes. But he carried on, trying his best to lead a moral life, despite the fact that everyone despised him. To her surprise, what she felt for him wasn't hatred. It was admiration.

She shook her head. "Of course I don't hate you, Kuja," she said softly. "Give me a little credit."

He snorted and turned away from her.

Claire stood up and faced him, heedless of his growing anger. "Aren't you forgetting your own words?" she asked, craning her neck to meet his eyes. "Didn't you say you weren't that person anymore? That you were trying to be someone better?"

"And what does that matter?" he retorted in frustration. "Even if I _am_ a different person, nobody sees it! All they see is the mass-murderer, the maniac who tried to destroy their world!" He took a deep, shuddery breath and turned back to the window. "No matter what I do, no one will ever know how I've tried. And when I'm gone... no one will miss me."

This outburst apparently weakened him, and he began coughing again. Claire came to his side and drew her arm around his shoulders as they waited for the fit to pass, and this time he didn't shrug her off. More clouds had appeared to block out the night sky, and a light rain began to fall. Finally Kuja's attack seemed to subside.

"_I'll_ miss you," Claire said softly.

"Shut up," he replied, without malice.

"It's true," she insisted, refusing to let him provoke her. "And don't tell me to shut up." Kuja sighed in annoyance, but didn't say anything. "You say that no one sees how you've changed. But I see it. I _know_ you've changed. Okay, so maybe I didn't know you until _after_ everything you did. But so what? As long as I've known you, you've been nothing but kind to me. You've saved my life about a hundred times. You even agreed to help save my planet, for God's sake! How can anyone say you haven't changed?"

Kuja gave another sigh and lowered his gaze, his long lashes veiling the intense blue of his eyes. "I... I thought if I could stop your world from being destroyed," he said in a low voice, "that it would make up for all the violence and misery I've caused. That by helping you, I'd be somehow... redeemed, but... I know that's impossible. I know that... no matter what... it will be on my conscience until I die." He laughed bitterly. "At least I won't have long to wait."

She found herself perturbed at the detached way he spoke of his impending death. If she knew she only had a few months to live, she would be completely prostrated with grief. But then, she had family and friends that would miss her.

Suddenly Claire's vision blurred, and she found herself wiping hot tears from her face. "I don't want you to die, Kuja," she said unsteadily.

"Claire," said Kuja, putting his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off roughly. "Claire, it's all right."

"How is it all right?" she shot back, angry at herself for being cross with him, but unable to help it. "Why do you have to die? Why shouldn't you be given a second chance?" She sniffed hard. "It's not fair."

"I understand why you must think so," Kuja told her, his voice quiet and his eyes calm. "Why you think I shouldn't have to die. But I don't feel that way. Do you know why?"

Not trusting herself to speak, Claire simply shook her head.

"Because I feel that if I can, in some small way, atone for what I've done by helping you, then at least someone will know I tried. That's all I ask. And not only that..." He reached out for her hand, and she took it mechanically. "I _have_ been given a second chance, Claire. You're the one who gave it to me."

Claire felt her cheeks grow warm. "What do you mean?" she asked shakily.

Suddenly he released her hand and turned away from her, looking uncharacteristically embarrassed. "I... I know it may sound foolish to you," he said slowly, his gaze directed toward the gleaming marble floor. "After all, with your... charm, and your friendly nature, you naturally must have led a happy life, surrounded by people who care for you. But I haven't."

Claire was silent. She was reliving a memory of when she was nine years old, and her family was behind on their rent. Her parents had just bought her a new red bicycle for her birthday, and they had been forced to pawn it, along with her brother Richie's crib, to pay the rent. Kuja was mistaken; she may have had people who loved her, but her life had not always been a happy one.

"Before I met you," he was saying, his tail whipping about restlessly, "I had no purpose, no reason for living. My life was... meaningless, empty. But now..." He turned to her again and stepped toward her, looking at her earnestly. "Don't you see, Claire? You've given me a purpose. I finally have meaning in my life, and... and I owe it all to you."

His expression was so unexpectedly sincere that Claire had to look away.

"I'm glad you think so," she said quietly, her voice trembling. "But I haven't done anything. All I did was drop out of the sky and complicate everyone's lives. If anything, I'm the one who owes you. I mean, if you hadn't found me, I'd still be in Conde Petie trying to talk to those crazy dwarves. I wouldn't even know Earth was in danger if it weren't for you. And I could never have got this far on my own." Her vision suddenly blurred with tears, and she stubbornly blinked them back. "I don't know how I'll ever repay you," she said with an embarrassed laugh.

Kuja touched her lightly on the shoulder, and she was forced to look up at him. "Consider your debt repaid," he said to her quietly.

Feeling an overwhelming rush of affection, Claire stepped forward and hugged him fiercely, tears pricking her eyes. "Oh, Kuja," she whispered miserably, "it's going to be so hard to let you go."

"Claire..." Kuja was given little choice but to hold her, so he held her tightly. As Claire pressed her cheek to his chest, feeling the heat of his skin through his shirt, she heard him start to purr. It soothed her nerves, and she closed her eyes and listened, while he wrapped his tail protectively around her.

And then she spoke the words that had been in her mind from the moment she entered the room. She couldn't help it. "Kuja, why didn't you tell me about what you did?"

Abruptly, Kuja extricated himself from her and turned away in shame. "I know I should have," he said in a low voice. "And I'm sorry I kept it from you." He took a deep, unsteady breath. "But I just couldn't tell you, Claire. You were the only person who was unaware of all the horrible things I've done, and..." There was a pause, as if he didn't trust himself to speak. "I had come to think of you as a friend, and I'd never had any friends before. And I knew that if I told you, you would leave me."

She raised her hand and turned his face toward her, and his china blue eyes lifted to meet her gaze. "You must not think very much of me," she said softly.

At this he stared at her, an unreadable expression on his face. "If you only knew," he whispered.

Then he suddenly broke into another fit of coughing. Claire slid her arm around his back and put her head on his shoulder, waiting for him to recover. Soon the coughs abated, and he sighed heavily. "Damn," he said eloquently.

She looked up at his tired face and felt a stab of pity. "You look exhausted," she told him. "When was the last time you had a decent night's sleep?"

He shook his head wearily. "Years. I don't sleep much anymore."

"Then it's time to start." Taking him by the hand, Claire pulled him, unresisting, over to the giant canopy bed and made him lie down. Then she drew the bedclothes over him and smoothed down his hair. "Good night, Kuja," she said as she turned to leave.

"Wait." She felt him grab her hand to detain her, and she stopped. Kuja stared up at her for a long moment, then spoke. "Why don't you hate me?"

Claire blinked at this unexpected question. "What?"

"You said you didn't hate me," he said flatly. "Even now, after all you've learned about me - everything I've done - you still don't hate me. Why?"

She sighed and knelt beside the bed, resting her elbows on the springy mattress. "Why do you want to know?" she asked him.

Kuja propped himself on one arm, so that they were face-to-face. "Because I don't understand you," he told her frankly. "Your actions are... unfathomable to me. Everyone else hates me, and you seem absolutely oblivious to what they think. I demand to know why."

"Oh, you _demand?_ Well, then, I guess I _have_ to tell you." Claire leaned forward and looked into his eyes. "Because I don't care what they think. I'm not oblivious to what other people say about you, Kuja. But it doesn't matter to me, because they don't know the real you." Kuja was silent, his face unreadable. "Somewhere, under that proud, scornful shell of yours is the real Kuja, and I've seen him. And that's why I don't hate you." Shrugging casually, she added off-hand, "And because you're so darn pretty."

At this his pale eyebrows shot up, and Claire laughed at his bemused expression. "I totally got you," she said with a smirk.

Suddenly the smirk was wiped off her face as Kuja leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers. Her lips went slack in shock, and her eyes involuntarily slid shut for a moment as he kissed her passionately, urgently, his fingers reaching out and tracing a line down her neck. Then reason returned to her, and she pulled away with a gasp. She stood up on shaky legs and cleared her throat. "I-- I should go back to my room," she stammered.

"Claire, don't go," Kuja said in a low voice, his eyes darkened with desire.

"No, I really should. I have to." She turned and walked to the door, her face flaming. "See you in the morning, Kuja."

"Claire, please wait--"

Ignoring him, she slipped out the door and pulled it shut, striding quickly toward her own room. She stood there, her hand on the doorknob, staring at the grain of the wood. Her hand began to shake, and then suddenly she slid to the floor and began sobbing silently, her shoulders shaking as she leaned against the door.

At that moment Jack came strolling down the hall, dressed in loose tan trousers and a long white nightshirt, which had been hastily altered to accomodate his unusual physique. He was holding an apple and singing softly to himself.

"Hey Jude, don't let me down," he sang in his pleasantly raspy voice, "you have found her, now go and get her..." Suddenly he saw Claire, slumped against her door, her hands covering her face, and he dropped his apple and skidded over to her, kneeling down at her side. "Claire, what is it? What's wrong?"

He put a hand on her shoulder, and she pushed him away. "Go away, Jack," she choked out between sobs.

"No, not until you tell me what's wrong," he persisted.

Claire looked up at him, and through her blurred vision she could see that his own golden eyes were filled with genuine concern. "Jack," she said brokenly, grabbing the closest of his hands, "it's Kuja..."

"Kuja? What about him?" His head turned toward Kuja's room, and his eyes narrowed. "What did he do to you?" he asked angrily, starting to stand up. "Did he hurt you? I swear, I'll kill him--"

She yanked him back down, shaking her head in frustration. "No, Jack, you moron!" she cried, clutching his sleeve. "He didn't do anything to me. He's..." Her lip began to shake. "He's dying."

Jack stared at her, his lips slightly parted, too stunned to speak. Fresh tears escaped her eyes, and she lowered her head into her hands again. Jack drew all four of his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace. Her head sank to his shoulder, and he held her, still too shocked to say a word.

----

With two of his hands in his pockets, Jack walked down the wide, echoing corridor, his face grim. Conflicting emotions pulled him in a thousand different directions. He had no idea what to think of this new development. On the one hand, he had mixed feelings about Kuja, especially after learning that he was responsible for the death of Felina's fiancé. But on the other hand, he was good to Claire. If he had been told before he had met Kuja that he was dying, he would have thought it a fit punishment. But now he wasn't so sure.

He supposed in the end, it didn't really matter. Soon they would be leaving the Mist Continent, on their way to Vile Island, and then they'd get killed anyway. It was kind of a shame; he was going to miss Claire.

Turning a corner, Jack kept walking aimlessly until he found himself in a library. He frowned and shook his head. Where did he think he was going, anyway? He turned around and was about to leave when he heard a familiar voice.

"Yo! What are you doing up this late?" Jack's head whipped around to see Zidane Tribal sitting cross-legged on the polished floor, an open book in his lap.

Jack tensed. This guy and the queen were an item, and if she had recognized Jack and told him he had robbed her, he was screwed. But he couldn't just walk off. "Uh, couldn't sleep," he replied, running a hand through his unruly red hair. He crossed a pair of arms and strode over to the tailed young man. "What about you?"

"Same." Zidane sighed and nodded toward the book in his lap. "I'm trying to read up on this Vile Island, and the more I learn, the less I like it. I went there once, two years ago." He chuckled wryly. "Didn't think I'd be going back." He closed the book and stood up, holding out his hand. "Jack, right?"

"Yeah, and you're Zidane. Obviously." He shook his hand. "I think I met you in Daguerreo."

"Oh, yeah, yeah! You're the guy who kept asking me what my treasure hunter rank was." Zidane put his fists on his hips and puffed out his chest. "So, what rank am I _now?_"

"Uh..." Jack blinked, caught off guard. Then his eyes widened, and he pinwheeled backward. "No way, you're Rank S?" He cleared his throat. "Sheesh, sorry I kept buggin' you."

Zidane laughed, and suddenly Jack began to understand why the guy was so well-liked by everyone. "So," the blond prompted, "how the heck did you get mixed up with my brother?"

Jack hesitated, wondering which version of the story he should tell; namely, the true one, or the carefully altered one. "I met him in Treno," he replied at last. "He and Claire were on their way to see Doctor Tot, and he agreed to let me tag along until they got to Alexandria."

"Really?" Zidane asked, sounding surprised. "Kuja let you come with him?"

Jack looked into the young man's face, and he looked so proud of his big brother, so pleased that he had performed a random act of kindness, that Jack just couldn't lie to him. "No, not really," he said in a low voice. "I tried to mug Claire, and then I told Kuja I'd turn him in if he didn't take me with him."

"Oh." Zidane looked away, disappointed. "So are you the one who had him arrested by the royal guards?"

"What? No way!" The blond jumped slightly at his vehement outburst. "I may have said I'd turn him in, but I'd never actually _do_ it! Not in a million years!" He paused, wondering why he'd become so defensive. "Kuja's... not such a bad guy. Not many people would put up with me and Felina bickerin' all the time, but he does. And he's good to Claire."

"Right, Claire," Zidane repeated. He was silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful and far-away. "And the girl with the long blond hair, Felina. How'd she end up with you?"

Jack sighed. He hadn't realized how much had happened since he had threatened Claire with a knife in Treno. "She was cheatin' people at Tetra Master at South Gate, and I exposed her. Now she won't leave me alone until I give her back all the money she won."

He cast a sidelong glance at Zidane and found he was grinning at him. "So why don't you just give it back?" he asked.

Jack grinned back. "'Cause then she'd leave me alone, that's why."

Zidane burst out laughing and punched him in the arm. "Ah, that's classic," he said. "But I don't blame you; she is a cutie. Though Dagger would murder me if she heard me saying it."

"Yeah, that's not all, either," Jack answered. "She's sweet, and funny, and she can hold her own in a battle. She's got... I don't know... spunk, or something." He shrugged, frustrated at his own ineloquence.

"Geez, you sound like me, back when I had first met Dagger," said Zidane with a knowing smile. "Well, anyway, I'm going to bed. You should probably do the same. Everyone's getting up early to load the Red Rose with provisions."

Jack put up his hands. "Whoa," he said quickly, "I'm not goin' to Vile Island."

"Okay. Well, we'll see." He turned to leave, then stopped. "Hey, you should tell Felina how you feel, you know? I know from experience that it's better to tell something like that than to keep it secret." He grinned at Jack over his shoulder. "Who knows, maybe it'll give her another reason to stick around."

Jack watched him as he turned to leave, his tail swinging behind him. "Oh hey, uh, Zidane?"

He stopped again. "Yeah?"

Clearing his throat, he said, "Remember, in Daguerreo, you asked me my real name?" Zidane looked at him expectantly. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "It's... It's Gilgamesh." He winced.

Zidane nodded. "Gilgamesh, huh?" He mulled it over for a few seconds. "Right on. Sounds like a hero's name to me." And without another word, he strolled out of the library, his hands in his pockets.

----

A/N: Incidentally, Gilgamesh _is_ a hero's name, at least in Middle Eastern mythology. Apparently Gilgamesh was this Babylonian king, and the gods sent some guy named Enkidu to kill him. But wouldn't you know it, they became friends instead, and they did many heroic deeds, killed many monsters, and had many other wacky adventures. But anyway, yep, that's Alleyway Jack's real name. And all you have to do to find it out in the game is become a Rank S treasure hunter, which I did. Incidentally, this is wicked hard, and takes forever. Or you could find it on the Internet. Or just let some idiot fanfiction writer tell you, like I just did. Whoops, hope you weren't planning on figuring it out for yourself!

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. I don't have much experience writing Zidane, so I hope I didn't butcher his personality. I wouldn't want to do that, since he _is_ one of my favorite characters. I'll take a cheery little goof as a protagonist over a sulky brooding loner like Squall any day. But hey, I'm rambling. Do leave a review, will you?

-Waki


	13. A Day for Farewells

A/N: Yikes! Sorry about the delay, everyone! I kind of wrote myself into a corner there for a while, and had a heck of a time getting out of it. Anyway, I hope this chapter makes up for my hiatus, in some small way. Lots of thanks to everyone who reviewed, as well as everyone who has commented on my drawings on my DeviantArt gallery. Anyway, without further blathering, here's chapter thirteen!

Disclaimer: Must we still do this? I don't own Final Fantasy IX. Please don't sue me, Square Enix, for borrowing your wonderful characters.

----

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Thirteen: A Day for Farewells

----

"Your Highness, I really must protest," said Captain Steiner, his booming voice echoing in the airship hangar.

Queen Garnet stood calmly beside him, overseeing the preparations for her royal airship, the Red Rose. Scores of Alexandrian soldiers loaded stores of food and water for the journey, as well as medicinal items, into the hold of the enormous ship. They were scheduled to leave in three hours.

"Agreeing to help Kuja on this ridiculous mission is exceedingly unwise," Steiner continued heatedly. "He has given us no reason to trust him in the past. Why should we help him when he has done nothing but deceive us?"

"Your objections are duly noted, Captain Steiner," Garnet replied evenly.

The knight stamped his feet furiously, his armor clanking. "He's nothing but a lying snake!" he bellowed. "He is treacherous and manipulative! I shall say _nothing_ of his lawless bunch of companions--"

"Steiner," the queen interrupted, her patience finally wearing thin, "I know how you feel. I know how _everyone_ feels; you're not the first to come to me in protest, you know. And I'll admit, at first I felt just as you do." She sighed and shook her head. "But I truly believe Kuja has had a change of heart. It's been difficult to accept, but I can't avoid it."

"But, your Highness, how can you be certain?" he persisted. "What if it is all an act to gain our cooperation? He may have something horrible planned for us! We cannot simply--"

Garnet put her hand on the big knight's arm. "Steiner, please," she said softly. "This isn't just about Kuja. It's about the lives of billions of people. It's about the fate of an entire planet."

"We have only the word of Kuja, two thieves, and a young woman who may well be out of her head," he answered dubiously. "How do we know that it's not an elaborate farce?"

In response, the queen held out a piece of paper, which Steiner took uncertainly. "I wrote to Doctor Tot, asking him if he knew anything about Claire and Kuja's mission," she said. "That letter is his reply. Not only does he support their story, but he sends his regards to the both of them and hopes they reach Earth safely." She looked up at Steiner. "If Doctor Tot can trust Kuja, then so can we."

Steiner cast about desperately for more objections. "But... But even if Kuja is sincere, this expedition is madness, your Highness!" he exclaimed. The queen rolled her brown eyes wearily. "Surely you cannot have forgotten what happened the last and _only_ time we went to Vile Island! We were attacked by a group of yans! Master Vivi was nearly killed!" He stepped in front of her and looked down at her sternly. "You may be my queen, but it is my duty to protect you, and I would hold myself personally responsible if anything were to happen to you."

"Steiner--"

"No; I will not hear it," he said stubbornly. "I simply cannot allow you to go on this mission. And if I am charged with insubordination, then so be it."

"Steiner..." Garnet closed her eyes and shook her head, and when she opened them she was smiling affectionately at him. "Whoever said _I_ was going on this mission?"

Steiner blinked. "What?"

----

"Okay, listen up," said Zidane as he paced back and forth in the conference hall, his sandy blond tail lashing about. "I'm not gonna force any of you guys into this. If you don't want to come, I understand completely. But I'd like to think I can count on you to say yes."

Before him, watching Zidane guardedly, stood Garnet, Steiner, Beatrix, Vivi, Freya, Amarant, Quina, and Eiko. Steiner was visibly fuming, as well as Vivi and Eiko, but the rest of them were impassive. It was clear that none of them were particularly excited about what Zidane was proposing.

On the other side of the room, Felina leaned against the wall, with Kuja and Claire on either side. Felina could swear that they looked distinctly uncomfortable. Jack was nowhere to be seen. She sighed in disappointment; somehow she had hoped that he would come bursting through the doors at the last minute and demand to come along. But she should have expected as much.

"Claire's planet is about to be totally destroyed," Zidane continued, directing his gaze toward his friends. "If we don't do something to stop it, everyone will die. Now there's only one way back to Earth that we know of. Doctor Tot believes there's a portal on Vile Island that might take us there.

"I know what you're thinking," he said quickly as there were general gasps and exclamations of horror. "And you're right. Vile Island is probably the most dangerous place on Gaia. But we've faced bigger things in the past, and we managed to get through them. We're a team, and as long as we're together, we can take on anything, right?"

Felina had to smile. _A movin' speech, to be sure_, she thought. It hadn't had much effect on Vivi and Eiko, but some of the others looked a little less peeved. She wondered how many of them Zidane would be able to recruit.

"Now I'm not gonna beat around the bush," he was saying, his hands behind his back. "I know most of you, if not _all_ of you, aren't feeling too great about Kuja being here." Felina cast a sidelong glance at Kuja beside her, but his face was impassive. "I can assure you, without any shadow of a doubt, that you don't have to worry about him. But, in case you think someone should keep an eye on him, that's why I'm coming." Zidane looked at Garnet, and when he spoke again, his voice was quieter. "The queen, however, is staying here."

"What?" cried Eiko in surprise. "You're not going, Dagger?"

"No, Eiko," Garnet replied, kneeling down beside the little girl. "I have to stay and protect Alexandria. We still have a long way to go with the reconstruction, and my people need me right now. I just can't pick up and leave my kingdom for every adventure that comes along. Don't worry, I'll have Captain Steiner and General Beatrix to keep me company."

Beatrix cleared her throat. "That is not entirely accurate, your Highness," she said hesitantly. "I wish to be present on this mission also."

"You would?" Zidane and Steiner said simultaneously. They glanced at each other, and Zidane stammered hastily, "I mean, that's great, Beatrix. But can I ask why?"

The tall general stepped forward, her sword clinking on her belt. "During your many exploits, I have remained behind to look after matters in Alexandria," she answered slowly. "But now that her Highness has decided to stay, I would very much like to be included on this one. I cannot think of a better cause than saving an entire world. That is," she added with a glance toward the queen, "if it please her Highness."

"Yes, of course, Beatrix," Garnet said quickly.

"I am coming!" Steiner shouted adamantly. When Zidane raised his eyebrows, he colored and explained, "I said I would follow you to kingdom come, Zidane, and I hold to that. If that means following you to yet another planet, then I shall."

Zidane smiled and shook his head. "Rusty..."

"Well then, who's going to stay here with Dagger?" Eiko demanded, her fists on her hips. "I'm staying! With those two knuckleheads leaving, someone has to look after the queen!"

"I-I'm staying, too," said Vivi, so quietly that Felina, from her position, could barely hear him. He looked up at Zidane. "I'm sorry, Zidane, but... It's Kuja. I... I just can't..."

Zidane put his hand on the little mage's shoulder. "I understand, Vivi," he said kindly.

"Well, I'll come," Amarant said suddenly. When everyone stared at him, he shrugged casually. "Why the hell not? I was looking for something reckless and stupid to do. This came just in time."

"I shall come as well," put in Freya with a good-humored smile. "Without someone to look after Zidane, he might do something rash and foolhardy."

"I come too!" Quina said. "Is maybe many good food on Earth!"

"Uhhhh, yeah, about that," Claire suddenly said tentatively, speaking for the first time. Felina watched as the brunette stepped forward to face the group of comrades. "I'm _really_ grateful to all of you for your support," she continued slowly, "and I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings. But the fact is... all of the people on Earth look like me. I mean, they're all humans. And if anyone on Earth were to see Quina, or Freya..." She trailed off, fumbling for the right words.

"It'd cause widespread terror?" Zidane suggested, grinning. Claire nodded, biting her lip. "Well then, we'll just have to thin out our ranks a little. Freya, Quina, I'm sorry. But it looks like you'll have to stay behind this time." They nodded their acknowledgement, visibly disappointed. "So I guess that leaves me, Steiner, Beatrix, Amarant, Kuja, and Claire."

"Oi, I'm comin' too!" Felina cried, her hand shooting up in the air.

"So am I," came a sudden raspy voice. Felina whipped her head around, her heart in her throat. Standing in the doorway, two of his four arms folded over his chest, was Jack. She grinned wildly with delight.

"Jack," said Claire, "you don't have to come if you don't want to. No one's forcing you."

The thief rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you, Claire," he replied cynically. "You're lettin' two guys with tails come with you, and you don't want me around? If you're worried about my extra arms, they're easy enough to hide." She opened her mouth to protest, but he came forward and put his hands on her shoulders. "You're not forcin' me into anything here," he said, smiling. "Face it, sweetheart, you're stuck with me."

Claire smiled back. "Thanks, Jack."

"And Kuj," he added, turning toward the tall Genome, "looks like you're stuck with me, too."

The merest hint of a smile touched Kuja's lips. "Don't worry, I'll manage somehow," he replied.

Jack chuckled, then abruptly stopped. "Felina." She felt her cheeks grow warm as he stepped up to her, took her hand, and placed something in it. It was a small leather sack. "Your ill-gotten gains," he explained with a smirk, his golden eyes flashing with mischief. "It wasn't my place to confiscate it."

Felina could hardly believe it. "Th-Thank you," she managed to stutter, her eyes wide.

"All right then," said Zidane, smiling as if at some secret joke. "That makes eight of us. The Red Rose is almost prepared for the journey, so uhh... I'll see you all in the airship hangar in an hour!"

The group began to disperse, and Jack pulled a face. "An hour?" he repeated unhappily. "Sheesh, I'm glad I got here when I did. I'd better go get ready."

He turned to leave, but Felina detained one of his arms. "Jack?" she asked, embarrassed at how hesitant she sounded.

He frowned. "Yeah, kitten?"

She cleared her throat. "I were just wonderin'," she said, as casually as she could manage, "why the sudden change of heart?"

Jack shrugged and stuck two of his hands in his pockets. "I dunno," he replied in a low voice, looking at the floor. "I guess I finally realized... what good is money when you don't have friends?"

Felina smiled. "I'm glad," she said softly.

He met her eyes and smiled back.

----

Striding swiftly through the vast entrance to Alexandria Castle's airship hangar, Kuja kept his eyes forward, deliberately ignoring the burning glares from the people who watched him pass. He had no belongings to load onto the Red Rose save the clothes on his back, but that was not the purpose of his visit, or the reason for his haste. He had a different matter to attend to.

As he found himself in the main loading docks, Kuja briefly took in the few others who were already there. Steiner and Amarant were carrying crates of medicinal items onto the airship, to be stowed below in her cavernous storeroom. A slight smile came to his face as he saw Jack and Felina talking animatedly to General Beatrix, who simply stood and nodded patiently. Then the smile faded, and he felt his cheeks grow hot as his gaze zeroed in on Claire, who stood to one side with Queen Garnet, her bow slung over her shoulder.

He closed his eyes and replayed the events of the night before for the millionth time in his head: the confessions, the revelations, the strange notion that his heart would burst if he couldn't hold Claire in his arms. And most of all, the kiss. He hadn't meant to kiss her; indeed, he hadn't meant to say many of the things that had come out of his mouth that night. But his fixation with her lips, so soft and inviting, had overtaken any logic he possessed, so that he couldn't stop himself. If it weren't for the fact that she had pulled away, Kuja doubted that he would have let it end with just one kiss.

But she _had_ pulled away. And he wanted to know why.

Suddenly to his horror, he felt a burning, tingling sensation deep in his throat; a cough was building. _No, please, not here_, he thought desperately. He tried to hold it back, but it was too late. It tore free from his throat with the force of Ultima, echoing and reechoing in the enormous hangar. Seven heads whipped around and stared at him as he hastily clapped a hand over his mouth.

Making a supreme effort to maintain his dignity, Kuja stepped up to Claire, whose eyes held a sad sympathy which was irritating to look at. "Claire," he said in an even tone, purposely paying no attention to the queen's surprised expression, "may I have a word with you in private?"

Claire's cheeks flushed bright pink, but she nodded. "Yeah, sure," she replied woodenly. "Actually, I was hoping to talk to you, too." She turned to Queen Garnet, who had watched this exchange with unhidden curiosity. "Will you excuse us for a moment, please?"

Garnet blinked. "Oh, yes, of course," she said, nodding rapidly. And she walked quickly off, to rescue Beatrix from the two young delinquents who were accosting her.

Taking Claire discreetly by the elbow, Kuja led her aside, seeking the protective shelter of a tall stack of crates. Once they were alone, he began to speak in a low, rapid voice, giving her no opportunity to interrupt. What he was about to say was difficult enough. "Claire, before you say anything, I want to apologize for my behavior last night. It was totally unwarranted, and I'm sorry. But you must understand, I meant every word I said to you. I know," he continued as she opened her mouth to speak, "I know you have no reason to believe me, but it's true." Reaching out with unsteady fingers, he lightly touched her cheek. "Claire, I--"

She took his hand firmly and pulled it back down. "Please don't," she whispered.

Kuja began to feel a dull pain in his chest, but he ignored it. "Why?" he demanded, starting to grow annoyed. "Why do you keep pushing me away? Why do you _insist_ on playing this ridiculous game?"

"Kuja..."

"Is it because I'm dying, my little bird?" he asked scathingly. "Is _that_ why you've distanced yourself from me? Or is it because we're from different worlds?" He pushed his silver hair out of his face in exasperation. "I can't believe this. After all that's happened, I would never have expected this from _you_."

Claire stared at him steadily. "Are you done?" she asked quietly.

He blew a breath out through his nose. "For now, yes."

"Then let me talk for a second." She shook her head, hugging her arms to herself. As he looked at her more carefully, he was alarmed to see dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept an hour the night before. She seemed so tired and defenseless to him. "Kuja, let's get real here," she said. "We're two completely different people. We're from completely different backgrounds. Let's face it, we don't even _know_ each other."

"Are you joking?" Kuja blurted in disbelief. "You know all there is to know about me, Claire; more than I've ever wanted _anyone_ to know."

"Maybe so, but do you know me?" Claire raised her eyebrows. "What's my favorite color? My favorite food, my favorite book?" He sighed in annoyance. "What's my middle name, Kuja? Did you even know I _had_ a middle name?"

"All right, maybe we don't know each other all that well," he said impatiently. "But there's no reason why we can't get to know each other better."

"Other than the fact that you're going to be dead soon?" she asked sarcastically. "You're trying not to cough right now, aren't you?"

Kuja felt his tail bristle. "No," he lied.

"Yeah, right." She shook her head wearily. "Look, this isn't even about that. Even if you _weren't_ dying, this could never work. I belong on Earth, Kuja. And you belong here."

"I don't 'belong' anywhere, Claire!" he shouted, forgetting in his anger and frustration to keep his voice down. "Not anywhere," he continued in a quieter tone. "Never have, never will. And I don't _need_ to." He took her hand firmly in his. "I'm a dead man, Claire. My days are numbered. So _why_ must you make my last moments miserable and awkward for the both of us?"

Claire looked down at their clasped hands, her brown eyes filling with tears. As Kuja watched her lip tremble, he felt that unfamiliar sensation again: regret. He regretted his bitter words.

"Oh, little bird," he said softly, closing his other hand over hers. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." He was peripherally aware that he had never apologized this much in his life. "If this is what you want, then I... I won't bring it up again." He slowly released her hand and turned away. "You'd best get ready. We'll be leaving soon."

"Kuja, wait." He stopped, his heart in his throat. "You... You don't have to come with us."

Abruptly, his heart plummeted to his stomach, along with his hopes. "I beg your pardon?" he asked stiffly.

He heard her take a deep breath. "I said you don't have to come with us on this mission, Kuja," she said. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. You've already done so much for me, and I can't thank you enough. But I could never ask this much of you." There was a long pause. "In your... condition, it'd be too dangerous for you. I don't want you wearing yourself out when you should be resting."

Kuja felt himself shaking. For a long minute he didn't respond. Finally he cleared his throat. "I do _so_ appreciate your concern," he said frostily. "But I promised that I would protect you. And I have no intention of breaking that promise."

He heard Claire sigh. "Why, Kuja?" she asked. "Why are you so bent on protecting me?"

Suddenly he spun around and faced her, causing her to jump. "Because you're everything to me, damn it!" he shouted.

Claire stared at him in silent shock. Kuja could scarcely believe what he had just said, and that look of shock in the girl's eyes was more than he could take. "I have to go," he muttered, stalking quickly away and leaving her alone.

----

"Zidane, don't leeeeave!" Eiko pleaded, trying to hold the Genome by the tail as he made his way toward the airship hangar. She only succeeded in being dragged along with him. "If you say we don't have anything to worry about with Kuja, then I believe you, just don't go!"

Zidane sighed. "Eiko, it's not Kuja I don't trust," he replied, never lessening his pace. "It's everyone else. If I'm not there to keep an eye on the others, one of them - or _all_ of them - might decide to take revenge on Kuja. And with him in the condition he is, and getting worse every day..." A saddened look crossed his features, looking out of place on his usually cheerful face. "I'm not sure he could defend himself."

"It's no more than he deserves!" Eiko shouted furiously. "Zidane, I know he's your brother and you care about him, but think of everything he's done to you! To all of us! Besides," she added desperately, and, giving up on his tail, she ran ahead of him and blocked his path. "Besides, you can't protect him forever! If what you say is true, he's just going to die anyway!"

Kneeling in front of the little girl, Zidane placed a gloved hand on her shoulder. "Eiko," he said softly, "you're giving me every excuse not to go, but you're not telling me the truth. What's this really about?"

Her bright green eyes filled with tears, which she angrily blinked back. "If you go to Vile Island, you might not come back," she said in a quavering voice. She sniffed hard. "For two years I thought you were dead. I don't want to lose you all over again."

Zidane felt a stab of affection for the little summoner. She really was old beyond her years. "Kiddo, come here," he said, pulling her into a hug. She buried her face in his shirt. "Now don't you worry about me," he told her firmly. "This is different than last time. I've got the bravest people on Gaia with me. There's nothing we can't handle."

Eiko sniffed again. "Except Amarant's a big meanie," she said, her voice muffled.

"Yeah, I know," he replied. Then he pulled away from her and grinned rakishly. "But I beat him once, remember? If he gets out of line, _whap!_"

She giggled, and he picked her up and hoisted her onto his shoulders. As he resumed his pace, she asked, "So what does Dagger think about you leaving on this crazy mission?"

He sighed. "She's not happy," he said quietly. "And I'm not happy about leaving her. But she understands why I have to go, and I understand why she has to stay." He paused for a moment. "Sometimes, for the greater good, things just have to... well, suck."

"Classic Zidane," Eiko remarked, and he laughed.

When they reached the airship hangar, a large group had already gathered there. Steiner, Beatrix, and Amarant were waiting dutifully by the Red Rose. Kuja, Claire, Jack, and Felina were there, the former two looking extremely awkward, like they had had a falling-out. And though they would not be present on the voyage, Vivi, Freya, and Quina had come to say their goodbyes. Baku, Blank, Cinna, Marcus, Ruby, and the Nero brothers were also there to wish them good luck. And, standing off to one side, was Queen Garnet.

Zidane set Eiko on the ground and stood still for a moment, scratching his head. "Well," he said at last, "if everyone's here, I guess we'll be going."

One by one, each of them came forward and bade him farewell, most of them with embraces and few of them without tears. He understood perfectly why everyone was so emotional. He had just returned to them after a two-year absence, and now he had to leave them again. If circumstances were different, he would gladly stay. But Kuja didn't have a lot of time left, and Zidane wanted to be with his brother until the end.

Finally everyone had said their goodbyes, save for one. Zidane walked straight up to Garnet and took her hands in his. "Dagger," he said, gazing earnestly into her eyes, "I'm marrying you." Her large brown eyes widened further, but he leaned forward and kissed her, hard. "I promise you, when I get home, I'm marrying you."

She stepped forward and hugged him, clutching him fiercely. "You'd better," she replied, her voice tight.

Zidane held her a moment longer, then reluctantly pulled away. He gave her cheek one last, lingering caress, and then he turned to Kuja. "Let's go."

His brother nodded. The small band of travelers filed onto the Red Rose, who stood gallantly by herself inside the giant hangar. The royal airship had recently been modified to run without Mist, and her banners began to flutter as the propellers whirred into life. Zidane boarded the deck and took one last look at Garnet, who gave him a watery smile. Then he gave the signal. The Red Rose nosed slowly forward, and the cheers and farewells of his friends were drowned out by the rumbling of her engines as the great ship took to the air.

----

Standing at the bow of the airship, Claire placed her hands on the railing and leaned forward, feeling the wind on her face. As she looked down, she saw the ground whizzing by beneath her, a blurry Impressionist landscape of greens and browns. She had to admit, this was a far more comfortable mode of transportation that riding Silver Dragon. Safer, as well, no doubt.

As she thought about Silver Dragon, her mind inevitably drifted to Kuja, and their conversation earlier that morning. She didn't know what to do about him. She had promised herself that she wouldn't get attached to him, but far in the back of her mind, she knew she had broken that promise a long time ago. She was already attached to him; deeply, irreversibly attached to him. But now that she knew he was dying, she just couldn't let herself get too close to him. It would be too painful in the end.

"Enjoying the ride?"

Claire yelped in surprise and whirled around to see Zidane standing behind her. He put up his hands, laughing. "Sorry, didn't mean to freak you out," he said, smiling apologetically.

She smiled back, trying to calm her pounding heart. "That's okay," she replied. "And yes, I'm enjoying it very much. The last time I was up this high, I was on the back of a giant dragon. And no offense to Kuja, but I like to have a solid floor under me when I'm flying."

Zidane raised his eyebrows. "You rode Silver Dragon? Man, you're brave."

"Nah, it was all right," she said with a shrug. "It's really just an oversized dog with wings."

He nodded. Stepping up to the railing, he stood beside her for a moment, watching the passing landscape. "So Claire," he finally said, his voice deliberately even. "What do you know about Kuja?"

Claire glanced at him, but his blue-green eyes were still directed forward. She swallowed and looked down at her hands, unsure how she should answer. "Well, I guess," she began slowly, "I guess I know pretty much everything."

"And how much is everything?"

She sighed. Apparently he wasn't going to let her be vague about it. "Everything as in, _everything_," she replied, quite nonsensically. "I know where he's from, I know what he did, I know why everyone hates him. And..." She swallowed, then took a deep breath. "I know about his 'condition'."

Zidane turned to her. "You do?" he asked in a low voice.

She tightened her jaw and nodded slightly.

He nodded in return. "Me, too."

They stood in silence.

----

A/N: And we end on a downer once again. Sorry about that. But Zidane and Claire are pretty much the only people who care about Kuja at this point, and I wanted them both to find that out. Anyway, it took only thirteen chapters, but they're finally going to Vile Island! Yay! Actually, not yay, it's a horrible place. And they're going to find that out. So stay tuned for an update, and please review!

-Waki


	14. Island Getaway

A/N: Wow, chapter fourteen. That's a lot of chapters, if you think about it. Maybe I should get a life... nah. So far, writing this story has been a blast. It's taken a lot of research into that most wonderful of video games, but it's been worth it. Because I've gained so many nice reviewers! Thanks, guys! Now I'll shut up. Here's chapter fourteen.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy IX. Get off my back.

----

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Fourteen: Island Getaway

----

Leaning against the door frame leading out to the bow of the ship, Jack watched Zidane and Claire as they conversed on the deck, a frown on his face. He wondered what they were talking about. He hoped it wasn't about him. _Frick,_ he thought, his frown deepening. _Maybe Zidane told her my real name._

It wasn't that he was ashamed of his name, necessarily. He just couldn't help but wonder if his mother had been going a little heavy on the sauce when she thought of it. Come to think of it, that might possibly explain why she hadn't even considered what having four arms would mean for a poor, impressionable child; a family trait like that wasn't exactly something you would want to pass on to your offspring. Not that having two extra arms didn't have its advantages, he reflected. But he had had more than his share of teasing growing up.

At the moment, however, that wasn't what was on his mind. What he was really worried about was whether he would be able to reach the side of the ship if the urge to vomit became impossible to ignore. _Man, I hate airships,_ he thought, gritting his teeth.

After watching Zidane and Claire a moment longer, Jack turned and lurched back inside, one hand on his stomach. He passed that dangerous outlaw, the Flaming Amarant, but he was too nauseous to be intimidated. Finding a deserted corner in the bowels of the ship, far from any windows, he curled up into a four-armed ball of misery and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Jack?" came a sudden voice, familiar and startlingly close. "Jack, luv, what's wrong wif you?"

His pulse quickened as he opened one golden eye and saw a pair of stormy gray ones looking back at him. "Nothing," he lied, quite lamely.

Felina put her fists on her hips and frowned down at him. "Nuffin'?" she repeated skeptically. "Don't look like nuffin' to me. Matter of fact, you look a bit green."

Jack swallowed. He _felt_ a bit green, too. "I hate airships," he muttered. "I get sick."

"What?" The girl looked shocked. "I thought you been everywhere, Jack! How can you get airsick if you travel all the time?"

"Don't ask me, but I do." He planted his face into his folded arms, hoping Felina would take the hint and leave him alone with his suffering.

Of course, she didn't. Without ceremony, she dropped down beside him on the polished floor and sat cross-legged. Jack glanced at her and decided, with her long, thin legs, she looked like a grasshopper in a red hat and tailcoat. "Don't worry, luv," she said jauntily. "I'll help you get your mind off tossin' your biscuits. Why don't we play a card game?"

He eyed her suspiciously. "A fair one?"

In reply, she placed a gloved hand over her heart. "A fair one. What do you say?"

Jack looked at her for a moment, and he couldn't help but smile. "You're on, kitten," he replied.

She squealed in delight and clapped her hands, then delved into the inside pocket of her coat and pulled out a small selection of Tetra Master cards. Jack pulled out his own, flipped a coin, and the game began. Felina had, as he had already disovered, much stronger cards than were in the deck she used for the unethical little business she ran. He found he had to plan his moves carefully, play his cards at exactly the right time, or he got hammered. He had to admit, he no longer felt the urge to heave. His company definitely wasn't bad, either; Felina's reactions to her victories and losses kept him in stitches.

Finally, after a mentally taxing battle, Jack won by a hair by knocking out her Leviathan card. Felina huffed irritably about it for a moment, then held out the card he had won. "Nah, you keep it," he said, pushing it back toward her. "You'll need it for the next time we play."

Felina smiled sweetly. "Thanks." She paused, looking at him carefully. "Is somefin' botherin' you, Jack?"

Her tone made him look up at her sharply. "What do you mean?" he asked guardedly.

She shrugged. "I dunno," she said in a low voice. "You seem a bit glum, is all, and I can tell it ain't just airsickness." She bit her lip and looked away. "You don't have to tell me, it's just... I thought maybe..."

Now it was Jack's turn to scrutinize her. He could swear that she almost looked embarrassed. "Maybe what?" he asked. She didn't answer. "Felina?"

The girl sighed. "It's silly, really," she said, still avoiding his eyes. "But I thought maybe we could be friends." He stared at her incredulously, and she continued quickly, "I mean, I know we got off to a bad start and all, and I called you a bloody imbecile..."

"And a soddin' idiot," he couldn't help but interject.

"Oh right." Felina's cheeks reddened in shame. "Well, I'm real sorry 'bout that, and... I were hopin' that we could sort of start over or somefin'." She cleared her throat. "That is, if you ain't too mad at me."

Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. No one had ever formally apologized to him before, and he was shocked that Felina actually felt it necessary. He wasn't mad at her. On the contrary; he felt a ridiculous urge to hug her.

Reaching out with one hand, Jack placed it hesitantly on her shoulder. Due to previous experiences, he expected her to fling it off in distaste, but instead she simply looked up at him with something like vulnerability in her eyes. For a moment he forgot what he was going to say.

"I'll tell you what," he told her quietly. "If you can forgive me for takin' your money, which I had no right to do, then I can definitely forgive you for callin' me an idiot, which I totally deserved. In fact," he added as her face lit up with a smile, "call me crazy, kitten, but I thought we already _were_ friends."

Felina's smile widened, and she leaned forward and kissed Jack on the cheek. He felt himself blush furiously. "Thanks, Jack," she said cheerily as she stood up. Giving his wild red hair an affectionate tousle, she strolled merrily off down the corridor, leaving him with a pounding heart and no thoughts of airsickness whatsoever.

----

"Land ho!" Zidane hollered, sending everyone scrambling into the cockpit. "I've got visual confirmation on our destination! We will be landing on Vile Island shortly! I repeat, I've got visual confirmation..."

Jack looked out the wide window of the cockpit to see a large island in the distance, made even larger by a towering mountain, surrounded by dense forest. Gray, wispy fog clung to the mountain, concealing its base. For a moment he forgot about his airsickness as he stared at it. The whole place looked like something he had seen out of a picture book when he was a child, about a monster that lived in a volcano. That didn't seem all that different, actually.

He felt Captain Steiner come up beside him. "There it is," he said softly, staring out the window. "Heaven help us."

Jack shivered.

"Don't worry, luv," said Felina, lifting an arm and using his shoulder as an armrest. "We been in some scrapes before. There's nuffin' we can't handle. Besides," she added with a grin toward Claire, who had come to join them, "Kuja's wif us, and there ain't a single beastie too strong for him."

"Yeah, you're right," Claire said in a tight voice.

Jack looked at her sympathetically. It was probably tearing her up inside, knowing that Kuja didn't have much time left. "Hey, that hurts, ladies," he pouted jokingly, trying to lighten Claire's mood. "I'm no powerful sorcerer like he is, but I do what I can." He swallowed, feeling his stomach lurch again. "Man, I hope we land soon. Breakfast was great and all, but I have no desire to taste it again."

Claire wrinkled her nose at him. "You're so gross, Jack."

"Aww, poor darling," Felina teased good-naturedly, and he blushed as she threaded her fingers through his. "We'll be on solid ground before you know it. Of course, then we'll be fendin' off ferocious beasts right and left..."

"Ugh, don't start with that again," he groaned. He was tired of being constantly reminded that this was the stupidest thing he'd ever done.

"Oi, where is Kuja, anyway?" Felina asked, looking around. "Claire, why don't you go find him and tell him we'll be landin' soon?"

Claire hesitated, clearly not eager to face him at the moment. "I can go look for him," Jack suggested, coming quickly to the rescue. Felina frowned at him, and it was clear that she was trying to fix the Genome and the Earthling up together. "It's okay, I need something to keep my mind off barfin'. I'll be right back."

Before Felina could chastise him for ruining her plans, Jack took off in search of Kuja. But the Red Rose was a huge airship, with countless doors which led to cabins or storage rooms. More than once he opened a door and found himself looking at a stack of crates marked 'Phoenix Down' or a dozen barrels filled with annoyntments or vaccines. He began to wonder if Kuja had even boarded the ship at all.

Finally, as he was beginning to run out of doors to knock on, Jack came upon one that was half-open. He tentatively reached up and rapped his knuckles on it. "Kuja?"

There was no answer, but he pushed the door open anyway and stepped into the little cabin. It was furnished with a narrow bed, which was clothed with white linen and a red bedspread. There were also a small chest of drawers and chair, and a tiny, round window. And on the bed, facing the wall, lay Kuja, his long, silver hair pooled out behind him and his tail draped over the side, swinging slowly back and forth.

"Hey, Kuj, ol' buddy," said Jack, leaning against the doorframe to steady himself. "We've reached Agonizing Death Island. The airship'll be landin' soon." He waited for an answer, but none was forthcoming. "Hey man, did you hear me? I said--"

"Fine," came Kuja's flat voice.

Jack frowned. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yes." He sounded less than convincing.

Unfazed, Jack stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Pulling the little chair up to the bed, he turned it backward and sat down, fighting another wave of nausea. "All right, what's wrong?" he pressed.

He heard Kuja sigh in annoyance. "Get out of here, Jack," he said in a monotone.

Jack gasped in feigned indignation. "Come on, that's no way to talk to someone who volunteered to accompany you on this happy little quest," he replied. "We're comrades now, whether you like it or not. And fellow comrades don't keep things from each other."

"Oh, they don't?" Kuja mused in a mock-thoughtful voice, still facing the wall. "Then what is your _real_ name, Alleyway Jack?"

Jack cringed. "Geez, I walked into that one," he muttered. "All right, if you really wanna know... It's Gilgamesh."

He fully expected Kuja to laugh uproariously. On the contrary, he merely said, "Very well, Gilgamesh. Perhaps you can tell me something that has become a source of confusion to me."

Jack noticed that when the Genome was truly upset, his voice became coldly formal. "Okay..."

Abruptly Kuja rolled over onto his back, and Jack was startled by his appearance. His face was shockingly pale, his eyes were bloodshot, and his lips were almost blue. Jack wondered in alarm if he was at death's door already.

"I have always heard it said," Kuja remarked slowly, "that when a person dies, it is because his body has shut down, one organ after another, and the last thing to go is his heart. But what if the heart was the _first_ to die? Would the rest of the body immediately die also? Or can it continue living without it?"

Suppressing a shudder, Jack ran a hand through his hair uncomfortably. "I don't think that's possible, Kuja," he said quietly. "Why do you ask?"

Kuja's fevered eyes grew more abstracted and far-away. "Because," he replied quietly, his lips barely moving, "my heart has died."

Jack swallowed. "Come on, knock it off, Kuja," he said in a low voice. "You're startin' to freak me out."

"Didn't think I _had_ a heart, eh?" Kuja replied, one eyebrow arching haughtily. "Well, my apologies, Gilgamesh, for contradicting you. I'm simply wondering how it is that I can still be alive when my most vital organ has ceased to beat. Not literally, of course," he added, holding a thin white hand to his chest. "I still feel it thumping against my ribs - irregularly, but I would expect no less, in my condition."

"Will you stop callin' me Gilgamesh?" Jack growled in annoyance. "Just because it's my real name, doesn't mean I want anyone usin' it."

"Oh yes, I'm dying," he continued, ignoring him. "Don't worry, it's what everyone wants, isn't it? But you don't seem all that surprised." He paused for a moment, then gave a sharp intake of breath, as if a revelation had suddenly occurred to him. "Ah, of course. _She_ must have told you. I don't blame her for needing to tell someone, and I know better than anyone that I won't be able to hide it much longer."

Suddenly Kuja's disconnected ramblings began to come together. "Wait a minute, you're talkin' about Claire," Jack said. "Something happened between you two, didn't it? That's why you're sayin' all this crap about your heart dyin'."

Kuja closed his eyes tiredly, but he didn't speak. He waved his hand at Jack, as if he wished he might go away.

"Well, what happened?" Jack persisted, leaning forward and resting two of his arms on the back of the chair. "Hey, I told you my real name, and I hate it more than anything. So now it's your turn. Spill."

Kuja uttered a low growl, his pale eyebrows drawing together in irritation. "Your inquisitiveness will only get you so far, Jack, and then it will get you strangled." The redhead simply waited, and finally Kuja heaved a long, histrionic sigh. "What is the point of all this questioning? Surely you must know. I essentially bared my pathetic, wretched soul to Claire, and she ground it to dust under her heel. Are you happy?"

Jack felt a sudden stab of pity; something he never expected to feel for Kuja. "Ah, Kuj, I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I know what that's like. In fact, if I had a hundred gil for every time I've been shot down..." He cleared his throat, eager to change the subject. "But listen, it's not the end of the world. It doesn't feel too great, but there are other girls out there--"

"No, Jack," Kuja interrupted sharply, sitting up straight and glaring at him with his haunted blue eyes. "No, there aren't. Not for me." Jack noticed that tiny beads of perspiration had broken out on his pale brow. "Do you know what it's like, Jack?" he demanded. "Do you know what it's like to be hated and feared your entire life, and then suddenly meet someone who made you feel... like you weren't useless, like you were actually worth something?" He narrowed his eyes scornfully at the thief, then turned away with a scoff. "No, I don't imagine you do."

"But why _did_ she turn you down?" Jack had to ask. "I could have sworn you guys had some kind of... connection, or whatever." Suddenly his eyes widened in realization. "Is it because she found out about what you did?"

At this Kuja shot to his feet and began pacing restlessly in the small cabin. "No, and that's the most incomprehensible part of it," he replied angrily. "She said that that didn't even matter to her." His tail lashed about in frustration, inadvertently whipping Jack across the face. "I don't understand it."

"Girls," Jack muttered, frowning. He was silent for a long time. "You know, don't be surprised if she has some reason that she's not tellin' you. Girls are like that."

Raising his head slowly, Kuja stared at the thief for a long moment. "Perhaps you're right, Jack," he murmured. Then he added darkly, "Even so, I'd rather die now than spend my last moments knowing I can't have her."

Jack winced. Kuja could be so morbid, he thought. "Well, who knows? Maybe she'll change her mind. Just don't force yourself on her." He stood up, feeling his stomach give another lurch. "Ugh, I'm gonna hurl. Come on down to the cockpit soon, okay?"

As he turned and left the cabin, he heard Kuja chuckling mirthlessly to himself. And then he said something that made the back of Jack's neck tingle. "I never thought love would kill me."

----

After a slow, steady descent, the Red Rose touched down on the wide, rocky plains of Vile Island. Everyone was running this way and that, shoving food, water, and medicine into knapsacks to be carried with them. In the middle of the commotion, Claire stood and looked out the window at the red desert, dotted with cacti, and beyond, surrounded by dark, primeval forest, the tall black mountain. Somewhere at the feet of that mountain, if Doctor Tot was correct, was the portal to Earth. If they reached it alive, she would soon be home.

Fighting down her apprehension, Claire slung her own sack of provisions onto her shoulder, along with her bow and quiver of arrows. Her purse had been discarded long ago, after the fight with the malboro had left it covered in slime. Her own meager possessions were now at the bottom of her knapsack.

She felt a presence beside her, and attempted to return the encouraging smile Zidane gave her. As they were among the few people who didn't hate Kuja, they had formed an instant bond. "Had any practice with that bow?" he asked.

"Some, but not a whole lot," Claire replied uncertainly. "You think I'm ready?"

Zidane shrugged. "Does it matter?"

She blinked for a moment, then chuckled dryly. "No, I guess it doesn't."

"Then let's get crackin'." He double-checked his weapons, which consisted of a dagger at his belt, another in his right boot, and a colossal double-bladed sword with a handle in the middle. It looked like it was made of crytal. Then he hoisted his own sack onto his shoulders. "Now, is everyone here?"

Claire looked around. Steiner and Beatrix stood at one end of the cockpit, along with the guy with the dreadlocks, Amarant. At the other end were Jack and Felina, the former looking glad to be on solid ground. And in the back, looking distressingly pale, was Kuja. Eight heads in all.

"Okay," said Zidane, rubbing his hands together. "We're going to be separating into two teams of four. We won't actually be splitting up, but here's the thing. With eight people, there'd be too much confusion in a battle, too much going on. With two teams of four, we'll have better opportunity to get accustomed to everyone's fighting style. Does that make sense?" General nods of agreement. "So, how are we going to do this?"

There was a short silence. Zidane sighed theatrically. "Fine, if nobody wants to speak up, I'll split us up myself."

"Felina's with me!" Jack blurted. When everyone eyed him in amusement, he blushed and scratched his head. "I-I mean, if she wants to, that is."

Felina grinned. "Of course I will, Jack," she said happily.

"I would be glad to accompany them," Beatrix put in, surprising everyone.

"And I, as well!" Steiner added, surprising no one.

"All righty," said Zidane, trying unsuccessfully to smother a smile. "Then I guess that leaves me, Amarant, Kuja, and Claire. We'll be Team A, the others will be Team B. Sound good to everyone?"

Claire suppressed a sigh. Being teamed up with Kuja was, at the moment, the last thing she wanted. But she didn't dare protest, and she was sure that he would have insisted on going with her anyway, to better serve as her bodyguard. His words suddenly came into her head, unbidden and unwanted: _"You're everything to me, damn it!"_ Tears sprang to her eyes, and she quickly blinked them back.

"Well, if there are no objections," Zidane was saying, "then let's go." When everyone stood for a moment in indecision, he clapped his hands and made shooing gestures. "Come on, people, get moving! We don't have a lot of time here!"

Galvanized into action, they filed off the airship one by one, blinking in the bright light outside. As they stepped out onto the ground and began walking in the direction of the mountain, Claire took a deep breath through her nose, inhaling the pleasantly dusty smell of the desert. Here and there groups of cacti huddled together, bursting with orange or purple blossoms. If she didn't know that there were creatures nearby that would gobble her up in a second, she might almost consider this island an okay place.

"Yo, Earth chick," came a gruff voice. Claire came back to reality to find Amarant walking beside her, looking at her expectantly. "You got an accessory yet?"

She frowned, confused. "An accessory?" she asked. "What's that?"

As they walked, Amarant slid a small bag off of his shoulder and shoved a hand into it. His other hand, she noticed in alarm, wielded a glove with wickedly pointed metal claws. "Accessories are things you wear that protect you from certain elements. They can also raise your strength or defense. Don't ask me how the hell they work." He pulled out a short length of black ribbon. "This, for example, absorbs wind attacks." To her blank look, he clarified, "Meaning, instead of hurting you, it heals you."

"Oh." Claire looked at the ribbon, wondering how something so small could be so powerful. "Which one do you think I should use?"

"Let's see, you're a newbie, so... Wait, I know. Protect Ring." He pulled out a little, delicate gold ring with a blue-green gem set into it. "It cuts damage from all elements in half," he said as he handed it to her. "Fire, ice, thunder, holy, you name it. It also lets you attack from further away without reducing your own strength."

"Wow, thanks," she said, slipping the ring onto her finger. He shrugged in reply. "There's still so much I don't know about battles. I don't know about spells, or abilities, or 'status effects'. But since I'm from Earth, I don't have any magic abilities anyway." She sighed dismally. "I don't stand a chance."

"_Yans!_" Captain Steiner suddenly shouted. "Four of them!"

"Ah, frick," she heard Jack mutter.

"Everybody get into your teams!" Zidane yelled at the top of his lungs. "Team A, we'll take the two on the left! Team B, the other two!"

Amarant tensed beside her, every cell in his body prepared for combat. Claire bit back a whimper of despair. She was in over her head. From out of nowhere, she felt someone grab her by the arm and pull her closer to the group. It was Kuja. Her eyes widened, but he said quietly, "Don't worry."

Mustering up every ounce of courage that she had, Claire took her bow off her shoulder and fitted it with an arrow. Trotting purposefully toward the travelers on little hooved feet were four small sheep-like creatures, with large eyes peering out from even larger heads. Each wore a pair of curved horns. "Those are yans?" she asked in surprise, lowering her arrow involuntarily. "But they're so cute."

"Don't let their looks fool you," said Zidane, his tail lashing back and forth in anticipation. "They may be cute, but they can kill you with one comet spell."

Claire swallowed and gripped her bow tighter.

"Quit freaking her out, Tribal," Amarant said in his gravelly voice. "You know she won't be able to fight if she's terrified out of her mind."

"Sorry," Zidane replied with a grin.

_Okay,_ Claire thought, taking a deep breath and calculating her first move. _I'm going to be fine. It's just a couple of sheep-thingies... Sheep-thingies that can summon comets from space to kill you where you stand. No big deal._ Pulling the string of her bow taut, she took careful aim at the yan on the far left and let the arrow fly. There was a whistle, and the tip sank into its left shoulder. The animal shook itself violently, snorting with rage.

"Ha-hah!" she cried as she loaded another arrow. "Take that, lambchop!"

"Beautiful, Claire!" Zidane exclaimed approvingly. Then, dashing toward the same creature, he swung his double-bladed sword. The yan saw it coming and dodged it. "Damn it!"

"Watch and learn, dear brother." Claire watched as Kuja closed his eyes, standing perfectly still. A halo of fire enclosed the second yan, shrinking smaller and smaller until the creature was engulfed. Immediately the yan crumpled to the ground dead, its woolly coat scorched and blackened. Claire couldn't help feeling frightened by Kuja's power.

"Having you on our side might not be too bad, after all," Amarant remarked. Pulling out a throwing star that looked like a deadly metal pinwheel, he chucked it at the second yan. Blood instantly spurted from a wound that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. The yan snorted furiously, and then the sky inexplicably began to darken. "Comet!" Amarant yelled. "Heads up, everyone!"

The sky continued to dim into an eerie black. Claire's breath caught in her throat as she looked up and saw a flaming chunk of rock hurtling down toward them at incredible, insane speed. She realized with a horrible sense of helplessness that it was coming toward her, and she had absolutely no time to get out of the way. But she tried to run anyway, knowing it was useless.

To her surprise, it was not flesh-melting rock that collided with her, but the slamming force of another body. The breath was knocked out of her before she even hit the ground. She opened her eyes, coughing, and found Kuja lying on top of her, his head slumped heavily on her breast.

Too worried to be embarrassed by her current position, Claire shook his shoulders hard. "Kuja, get up," she said, her voice trembling. There was no response, and she shook him harder, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh God, Kuja, please. Come on, wake up."

Suddenly he groaned and lifted his head. "Am I going to have to do this on a regular basis?" he asked in a weak voice.

Claire smiled through her tears. "I'll try to keep it down to once a day," she replied shakily.

Kuja slid off of her, and together they managed to pull themselves to their feet. In the battle, Zidane was running headlong at the second yan, brandishing his sword and yelling crazily. With a flash, the blade came down, and the animal fell to the ground and lay still. He wiped his forehead, breathing hard. "Couldn't get away from me that time, you little bugger," he gasped.

Team B had already come out of their battle successfully, with only minor injuries; nothing that a hi-potion or two couldn't correct. But there wasn't a single person who was not exhausted from the fight.

After he had caught his breath, Zidane bent over the yan that he had dispensed with and poked it a few times with the tip of his sword. "How do yan-kabobs sound to everyone?" he asked with a grin. Then he ducked a punch from Amarant.

----

A/N: Oh, that Zidane. What a kidder. Anyway, hope that was satisfactory. I'm not too good with battle scenes, as you have probably noticed. But to my surprise, I actually enjoyed writing that one. So! Thanks for spending part of your day reading my little chapter, and please leave a review if you would be so kind, while I start work on the next chapter.

-Waki


	15. The Heart Dies First

A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while! I hope you guys haven't been insane with anger or anything. I had to re-post this chapter, because FFNet was acting screwy when I updated the first time, and it didn't even show up on the site that I had a new chapter. So I'm trying it again; hopefully this time it'll work. Anyway, I'll stop blathering and just let you read.

Disclaimer: Don't own FFIX, but if I did, I'd make a sequel. With Kuja.

----

Requiem for an Angel

a Final Fantasy IX fanfiction

by Wakizashi

Chapter Fifteen: The Heart Dies First

----

Felina blew a weary sigh and took off her derby hat to wipe the perspiration from her forehead. She had long since removed her tailcoat, rolled it up, and shoved it into her knapsack, but she was still dying from the heat. Her face and neck were sunburned, and her long, white-blond hair felt limp and greasy. She desperately needed a bath.

Everyone else looked as hot and tired as she was. They had reached the forest the previous day, and after passing an uneasy night camped in a clearing, with watches taking turns every hour, they had set out again at first light in search of this portal of debatable existence. Both days had passed quickly, but they had not been without their perils. After the first yan encounter, the frequency of battles had increased. Every one of them had been injured in one way or another, and if it weren't for the magical healing properties of the medicinal items they had brought, none of them would have been able to go on.

Felina could endure all of the battles, because they kept her on her toes. It was this infernal heat that she couldn't stand. Growing up in a temperate city like Lindblum, she was accustomed to having a cool wind blowing on her face all the time. But this forest was so humid! She didn't understand how the desert could have been so dry, and the forest so wet. It seemed contradictory, even paradoxical.

It wouldn't have been so trying, she reflected, if they actually _knew_ where they were going. But they were just wandering aimlessly through the thick, muggy woods, with no notion of where this supposed portal to Earth could possibly be. With another sigh, Felina took a drink of water from her skin-bottle. She had to keep reminding herself that they were doing this for Earth, and for the billions of people who lived on it.

"Hey, Felina." She felt a sudden nudge at her shoulder from Jack. "Let me have some of that water." Then he smiled sheepishly, remembering his manners. "Please?"

Felina passed the skin-bottle over to one of his many hands. As he threw back his neck and drank, she took the opportunity to look at him more closely. His trouser leg was torn at the knee, where a yan from their first battle had tried to gouge him with its horns. His face and neck were sunburned too, and the black _kohl_ around his eyes was smudged. He looked absolutely exhausted, but oddly enough, she hadn't heard a word of complaint from him since they had arrived on the island. Felina smiled affectionately: he was probably just happy to be on solid ground.

Jack handed her the bottle and wiped his mouth. "Thanks, kitten."

"Don't mention it," she replied, gazing up at his profile. He really was quite handsome, for a four-armed thief. "You holdin' up there, luv?"

"Meh. I'm alive, I guess that's something to be grateful for." He scratched his head. "I've been tryin' to be more positive lately, to look on the bright side. More like you, I guess."

Felina grinned. "I noticed."

"I figure, hey, nobody's died yet, or lost a limb, we haven't run out of food or water, I'm with my friends, and I'm not pukin' my guts out." She couldn't fully stifle an amused snicker, and he generously permitted it. "What I'm tryin' to say is, things could be a lot worse."

"Good for you, Jack," she said.

Suddenly he stiffened beside her. "Frick," he muttered, looking down at his boots. "I guess I should tell you, since we're friends now, or whatever."

Felina frowned, beginning to feel alarmed. "Tell me what?"

"My real name. It isn't Jack. It's..." He sighed deeply. "It's Gilgamesh." Felina's eyes widened. "I just tell everyone it's Jack, 'cause I hate it. I'm really sorry, Felina. Sorry I lied to you--"

She started to laugh, and he glared at her angrily. "Yeah, I know it's an awful name. I've tried to forget it, tried to make myself believe that Jack _is_ my real name, but I can't. And quit laughin', it's not funny!"

"No, no, that ain't it at all!" Felina put her hand gently on his shoulder. "I ain't laughin' at your name, luv," she said reassuringly. "I knew Jack wasn't your real name from the moment I met you."

Jack stared at her, his golden eyes wide with surprise. "You did?"

"Of course! You didn't _honestly_ think I'd believe such an uninspired name as Alleyway Jack could possibly be real, yeah?" Jack's face fell, and it was obvious to her that that was exactly what he had hoped for. "Oh, come along, it's all right," she said kindly. "Gilgamesh ain't a bad name. It's quite distinguished, really."

He snorted. "Puh. Yeah, right."

"Well, whether you think so or not's beside the point," she continued. "If you want to be called Jack, then I'll call you Jack. Your name ain't important to me." She smiled up at him, but when she spoke, her voice was serious. "I'll call you anyfin' you want, so long as you keep callin' me 'kitten'."

He smiled back, and his eyes were warm. "It's a deal," he said softly, and Felina felt her breath catch in her throat.

"Hey, you guys," hissed a sudden voice, startling them both. Felina turned to see Zidane walking beside them, looking uncharacteristically furtive. "Sorry I snuck up on you, but I need to know something, and my group is basically useless when it comes to getting information. Kuja and Claire are acting weird, and Amarant's... well, Amarant. Anyway, do either of you know if Kuja's eaten anything today?"

Felina looked at Jack in bewilderment, but his face wore a grim expression. "No, I don't think so," he answered in a low voice.

"Okay. I was just making sure." Zidane ran a gloved hand through his sunbleached hair. "Geez. Stupid guy's worrying me half to death."

Jack nodded gravely. "Yeah, I know what you mean. He's lookin' pretty bad."

Felina's pale eyebrows drew together as she stared at Jack, then at Zidane. They both seemed to know something that she didn't. "What's goin' on?" she asked. "What's wrong wif Kuja?"

The two young men looked at each other. "You didn't tell her?" asked Zidane.

"No, I didn't know if he'd want me to. I mean, the only people who know are you, me, and Claire."

"Yeah, Dagger knows, too."

"Dagg--? Oh, the queen. Duh, of course she'd know."

"Oh, and Eiko."

"Eiko? The girl with the purple hair?"

"_Oi!_" They both looked at Felina in surprise. "What don't I know 'bout Kuja?" she demanded.

They cast another conspiratory glance at each other, which annoyed her greatly, and finally Zidane cleared his throat. "Kuja's, uhh... he's dying." Felina stared at him in shock. "Garland, the man who created him and me, and our sister Mikoto, built him with a limit on his life. He doesn't have much time left."

Felina didn't know what to say, or even what to feel. This was the man who had destroyed cities, killed thousands of people, and almost blown Gaia to bits. This man had been responsible for the death of her first love. She should have been glad he was dying. After all, he deserved it. And yet all she could feel was an ache in her heart for him, and for Claire.

Now that she thought about it, Kuja did appear to be a bit ill lately. In contrast with the others' sunburns, he seemed to be growing paler every day, as well as thinner. His eyes were bloodshot, and his usually glossy hair was dull and limp. And every once in a while, she saw him stifle a cough in his hand. It was true. He _was_ dying.

"Poor Claire," she said softly. "She must be heartbroken."

"Yeah, you'd think she would be," Jack muttered, with a strangely hard edge to his voice.

Zidane frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the thing is, I think I know the reason for Kuja's... you know. Lookin' like he's got one foot in the grave." He lowered his voice further, and Zidane and Felina leaned in closer to hear him. "Back in Alexandria, he basically told Claire that he had it bad for her."

"That idiot," Zidane growled. "He said he wasn't going to."

"Well, he did. And Claire turned him down."

"What?" Felina blurted loudly, then slapped a hand over her mouth. "Why?" she asked, her voice muffled. "I... I thought for sure there was somefin' there."

Jack shook his head. "She said it was because they were too different, and because they're from different planets. And I guess that's true. But I don't know. That doesn't sound like Claire to me."

"How'd you find all this out, anyway?" asked Zidane.

"Because Kuja told me, that's how," he replied. "I'm his confidential pal, who he tells all his secrets to."

The blond Genome raised an eyebrow. "I think you just lost your reputation for confidentiality, man."

"Yeah, well..." Jack shrugged defensively. "Anyway, ever since then, it's like he's fallin' apart. He doesn't eat, I don't think he sleeps... And he keeps sayin' stuff, like, how his heart has died. And I can't be sure, but it sounded like he said, 'I never thought love would kill me.' He's usually pretty morbid anyway, but this is a whole 'nother story. Bein' rejected by Claire is killin' him even faster."

Felina looked at Zidane, who shook his head silently. His concern for his brother was clearly etched on his open, honest face. "Oh, man," he finally said under his breath. "I had no idea something like this would have such a bad effect on him. But I can't say I blame him. After all, he's been hated his entire life. He's just waiting for the crappy, meaningless hell that's his life to end. And then Claire comes along. She treats him nice, she doesn't judge him for what he's done, and she gives him a reason to live. It's no wonder he fell head-over-heels for her."

"And then suddenly," Felina continued softly, "the one person that he thought cared 'bout him turns him down." She exhaled sharply. "Blimey. Can you imagine how devastated he must be?"

Jack shook his head. "We'll probably never understand how he feels. I just wonder if Claire knows what she's doin' to him."

"I don't know, but we're not telling her." They turned to Zidane in surprise. "We don't want her to change her mind just because she feels guilty. If she does decide to, it has to be because she actually _cares_ about Kuja. But unless he starts looking really bad, we don't tell her a thing."

Felina frowned at him. "You mean, we just have to wait until she comes round?"

"I never thought I'd say this," Jack said quietly, "but I hope she does."

----

Suppressing her instinctual urge to turn and run for the hills, Claire steeled herself as the stampeding wendigo charged toward her. She pulled her bowstring taut, took careful aim, and slowly drew her breath out as she released the arrow. The point landed squarely in the creature's right eye, and it doubled over in mid-stride and crumpled to the ground, blood and gray matter trickling from its ruined head. Claire felt her gorge rising, and quickly turned away.

"Awesome shot, Claire!" cried Zidane approvingly. "I bet Rusty wishes his Pluto Knights had your skills."

"Or any at all," Captain Steiner grumbled as he came to join them.

"Yeah, I don't know where that came from," she said, blushing in embarrassment. "Just lucky, I guess."

"There is no need to be modest, Claire," said Beatrix, sliding her sword into her scabbard. "Being in a tense situation no doubt contributes to our doing things we didn't think ourselves capable of. But clearly you were born with an innate talent for battle."

"Ol' Cyclops is right," Amarant put in, much to the irritation of Steiner. "So what if you don't have any magic skills? It just means you don't have to rely on any wussy fairy spells to kick ass."

Claire couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks. I think."

Kuja, unsurprisingly, said nothing. No one could have known that he was bursting with pride.

"So when are we goin' to find this stupid portal?" asked Jack, folding one set of his arms over his chest. "We've been wanderin' around on Death Island for two days, and we haven't even seen anything that _looks_ like a way to Earth."

"_Vile_ Island, luv," Felina corrected him.

"I know what it's called," he grumbled. "But Doctor Tot said that that book he had, 'Some Somethings on the Something of Unknown Planets', told of some legend of a portal on an island, surrounded by ferocious beasts. Well, we're here. There's definitely no shortage of ferocious beasts. So why haven't we found the portal?"

"What I'm worried about," said Claire, "is if we'll even recognize what it is when we _do_ see it. What if it's invisible? What if it's not even _here_ anymore? Didn't you say that the portal to Terra isn't at that Shining Island anymore, Zidane?"

"Shimmering Island," he said. "And no, it's not. But that probably has something to do with the fact that _Terra_ isn't there anymore." Several people cast surreptitious glances toward Kuja. "Anyway, don't worry. We're gonna find it."

"I wish I shared your optimism, Zidane," Steiner remarked. "But to be honest, Miss Giovannucci and the four-armed scoundrel make a valid point."

"Hey, what'd I do to you, Clanky McGee?" Jack said, indignant.

"Take it easy," said Zidane. "The portal exists, all right? At least one portal _has_ to exist. Otherwise, how could Claire have gotten here in the first place?"

"But I wasn't sent to Vile Island," she protested. "I was sent to Conde Petie."

"So? Maybe that was a different portal. At any rate, this is the only portal that we know of, so we're going to keep looking for it until we find it. Okay?" There were general mumbles of assent, and Zidane's shoulders drooped. "It's getting dark. This is as good a place to set up camp as any. We'll start again at first light. Rusty, help me set up one of these tents. Kuja, you can help, if you're up to it."

Kuja didn't look like he was up to it. In fact, Claire was alarmed to see that his face was white, and he was breathing hard, like he had just run a marathon. But he joined Zidane and Steiner, the latter watching with visible displeasure, and silently began unrolling the animal-skin tents. He seemed unaware of his discomfort.

While Jack and Amarant set up another tent, Claire helped Beatrix and Felina build a fire, always with one eye on Kuja. Despite her initial decision to keep herself emotionally separated from him, she was forced to realize that she was worried out of her mind about him. He looked so pale and worn, and his cheeks were so hollow. He literally seemed to be wasting away. Not only that; he was coughing, not only at night, but now in the daytime. He was getting worse.

As she absently gathered dead branches to use for firewood, keeping the campsite carefully in sight, Claire tried to recall the last time she had actually felt happy. She found that she could not bring to mind the most recent instance. She hadn't exactly leapt for joy when she found out her planet was going to be destroyed. She certainly hadn't been too pleased when she had been informed of Kuja's past. And she had been absolutely crushed when she learned he was dying. When was the last time she had been happy?

And suddenly she remembered: that sweet, breathless, all-too-brief, heart-in-her-throat moment when she had felt Kuja's lips, warm and insistent, press against hers. At that moment nothing else had mattered: not their differences, not his "condition", not the always-present ticking clock they faced as Earth's deadline quickly neared. With that one kiss, Claire knew exactly how Kuja felt about her, and she hadn't been able to ignore her own feelings. She had been happy then.

Not for the first time, she heard Kuja's words inside her head.

_"Why do you insist on playing this ridiculous game?"_

_"Why must you make my last moments miserable and awkward for the both of us?"_

_"You're everything to me..."_

Had she made the wrong decision?

"Claire!" Her head shot up as she heard Jack shouting. "Claire, get over here! It's Kuja!"

Instantly she dropped the branches she had been carrying and sprinted back to the campsite, a terrible gnawing feeling in her stomach. The tents had been erected and the fire was blazing, but no one was sitting around it. Instead, they were circled around something else. Kuja.

Claire skidded to a halt and pushed her way through. Felina was kneeling beside Kuja, who was lying on his back with his eyes closed, his tail brushing weakly back and forth across the forest floor. Claire felt a surge of relief; she had feared the worst. "What happened?" she asked, her voice quavering.

"He was helpin' set up the tents, and he just collapsed," said Jack. "I think it's just malnourishment. He hasn't eaten anything since we got here. Hasn't slept, either."

Beatrix knelt down beside Kuja and slipped her arms under his. "Steiner, help me get him inside a tent. He needs to rest."

Wrestling for a moment between his loathing for Kuja and his devotion to Beatrix, Steiner finally sighed. "Of course."

Claire watched with worry as they lifted Kuja's limp form carefully and carried him into the nearest tent. She desperately wanted to follow them inside, just to make sure he would be all right. But she knew she would just be shooed away, and told that "he needed air." It was all she could do when she had seen him not to drop to her knees at his side and start sobbing into his shirt.

She knew it was all her fault. She knew that if she hadn't pushed him away, he would be eating and sleeping, and wouldn't look like Death warmed over. She knew that if she had just said yes, he would be happy, and so would she. He was killing himself over her. To her sudden mortification, she heard a sob escape her throat.

Instantly Felina's arms were around her, pulling her into a hug. Claire wept bitterly, her chin on the blond girl's shoulder, as guilt and self-loathing washed over her. She had been so thoughtless, so insensitive. It was all her fault.

"You know he loves you," Felina said softly, "don't you?"

Feeling fresh tears stream down her cheeks, Claire nodded silently.

"And how do you feel 'bout him?" she asked.

Claire pulled out of her embrace, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "I..." She took a deep, shaky breath. "I don't want to get close to him, when I'm just going to lose him anyway."

"That weren't my question, Claire. I asked, do you love him?"

She stared into the girl's calm gray eyes for what seemed like an eternity. But Felina never got an answer to her question. At that moment Beatrix and Steiner emerged from the tent, their faces grim. "He will be all right," said Beatrix, and Claire nearly collapsed in relief. "He is resting now, but when he wakes up, he will need to eat something. Someone needs to sit with him until he wakes, and see that he gets food."

Literally everyone looked at Claire. "I'll do it," she said, needlessly.

Beatrix nodded, and she and Steiner stepped aside. Swallowing hard, Claire lifted the flap that covered the tent's opening and ducked inside. On the soft, mossy earth - for this was no fancy Coleman tent with a floor built in - Kuja lay sleeping, his dark cloak rolled up and placed under his head. He slept easily for once, his breathing quiet and even, and his face was peaceful. He almost looked like an angel, if angels had feathers in their hair.

As quietly as possible, Claire sat down beside him and simply watched him sleep. She watched the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, the frighteningly irregular pulse in his neck, the occasional fluttering of his eyelids as he dreamed. She didn't know how long she watched him, but it wasn't until the light outside had faded, and she had lit a candle she took from her knapsack, that she heard a sudden change in his breathing and knew he was waking up. She sat back and waited.

Slowly, Kuja's icy blue eyes opened, and they swiveled around for a moment in confusion before settling on Claire. He stared at her for a long minute. Then he licked his dry lips and spoke. "I lost consciousness," he said. It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, you did," she replied quietly. "Jack tells me you haven't been eating or sleeping. Your body couldn't take it anymore." She dug in her knapsack again and unwrapped a loaf of bread. Tearing off a piece, she held it out to him. "I'm under orders not to leave until you eat something."

Kuja eyed her skeptically. "Orders?" he said. "Whose orders?"

"General Beatrix. And she'll have my head if I don't follow them."

He sighed. "I'm not hungry," he said listlessly.

"Yeah, well, that's because your stomach is eating itself." He rolled his eyes, but Claire only pushed it more insistently toward him. "Just eat it, Kuja. Please?"

Exhaling in annoyance, he snatched it from her with a bony hand, took a bite, and chewed it with much ceremony. Finally he swallowed it theatrically and raised an eyebrow at her. "There, are you happy?"

_No,_ Claire thought, staring into his thin, ashen face. Wordlessly, she took out her skin-bottle and handed it to him. There was a seemingly interminable silence as she watched him alternate between bread and water. "Don't have too much all at once," she finally said. "You don't want your stomach to stretch out too fast."

"I'm aware of that," he replied irritably. He thrust the skin-bottle rudely toward her, and she simply took it, pretending to be oblivious to his brusqueness. "Now. I've eaten. I've drunk. I've rested. You may leave now."

"No," she said. When he glared at her, she explained, "You're still very weak. I have to stay and make sure you get your strength back, and don't have a relapse."

"Indeed," he said sardonically, trying to raise himself up on his elbow. "You know, I can always _make_ you leave."

"No, you can't," she answered calmly. "You're too feeble to do anything. In fact, I could tickle you right now, and you'd be as helpless as an infant to stop me."

Kuja snorted as he lowered himself back down. But Claire thought she saw his lips curve slightly in brief amusement. She shifted, trying to ignore the rocks and twigs she was sitting on. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked quietly. "Anything I can get you?"

The Genome shook his head, looking up at the flimsy roof of the tent. "Nothing, thank you," he replied in a dull, listless voice.

"Come on, Kuja," Claire urged, her throat tightening. "There must be something I can do." Suddenly her voice broke, and everything she had been keeping shut up inside her gushed forth in a torrent of words. "I mean, it's my fault that all this has happened, my fault that you're like this. I was wrong, I shouldn't have pushed you away. I was just so scared that I would get too attached to you, but I know that's just a stupid excuse, because I'm already attached to you, and I _hate_ seeing you like this! God, I wish I could go back and change everything--"

Kuja sighed impatiently as he reached out and closed his long fingers gently around her wrist, interrupting her outburst. "It's all right, Claire," he said, still staring upwards. "Don't blame yourself for this. I don't."

"But I--"

He quickly shushed her. "I'm going to die eventually," he told her, sounding strangely resigned. "It's only a question of when. But I will try to stay alive long enough to help you save your home."

His hand fell away, and Claire brushed a tear from her cheek. She nodded silently.

After a moment he stirred again. "Now that I think of it," he said reflectively, "there is something you could do for me."

Instantly she leaned forward. "Anything."

Kuja's eyes were calm as they settled on her. "Tell me about yourself," he said.

Claire frowned. "Huh?"

"You made a very good point back in Alexandria," he explained, "when you told, or rather accused me of knowing nothing about you." He arched an eyebrow with a little of his old imperiousness. "Well, I wish to know. So tell me."

Caught off guard, Claire sat for a moment in silence. "What do you want me to tell you?" she asked.

"Anything. Everything." A shadow of a smile crossed his lips. "You can start with your middle name."

She felt herself smile in return. "Okay," she replied. "My middle name is Estelle." Kuja repeated it under his breath, and she continued. "I'm twenty years old, my birthday is August fifteenth, and I was born in Queens, which is a borough of New York. My parents, as you know, are Stan and Marcie, and my brother Richie is nine years younger than me. I currently live with my roommate, Sophie Evans, and I don't have any pets at the moment because my mother unwittingly killed my pet spider, Snuggles."

Kuja looked amused. "Snuggles?"

"Yeah, well... I wanted to name him something ironic. Anyway," she resumed, "I work at a hair salon in Manhattan - that's also in New York. It's a great job, but there are always a few people who refuse to trust me with their hair, because I'm young and, in their opinion, inexperienced. But enough about my work.

"Umm, well, my favorite color is orange, my favorite food is éclairs, not because they rhyme with my name, but because they're really good... My favorite book is 'The Great Gatsby', don't ask me why. I think I've read it at least ten times. I can kind of play the piano, and I love all kinds of music, especially classical. I wish I could get a real piano, but I don't have the room for it, so I just have a keyboard. But you don't even know what a keyboard is, so why am I even talking about it?" Suddenly she laughed. "Sorry, I think I got a little carried away."

"Not at all," Kuja replied, gazing at her intently. "May I ask you a question?"

Claire swallowed uneasily. He was making no effort whatsoever to hide the affection in his eyes. "Guess so."

His next words were so low that she had to bend closer to hear them: "Have you ever been in love?"

She felt herself blush. For a moment she didn't answer. Then she cleared her throat nervously and nodded. "Yeah, actually," she said quietly. "I have."

At this Kuja looked away, his pale lashes concealing his eyes. "I see," he said in a deceptively neutral voice. "Tell me about him."

"Kuja--"

"_Tell me._"

Claire sighed, forcing down her annoyance. "All right, fine," she said. She paused for a moment. "His name was... well, that's not important. I met him by accident, and we were just kind of thrown together. At first we didn't get along. But then I started to see good things in him." Kuja's eyes were still averted, but she could tell he was listening raptly. "He was kind of a loner; quiet, kept to himself. He had a lot of self-esteem issues. But he was always very polite to me, and he had a dark sense of humor. Anyway, I kept growing more and more fond of him, and then before I knew it, I was in love."

There was a silence. Then Kuja nodded stiffly. "And what happened?" he asked.

"I... didn't want to tell him," she replied. "Because I was an idiot, and I thought it'd be a bad idea. But then I realized it was a worse idea _not_ to tell him, because he felt the same way about me, and just assumed I didn't care about him." She sighed. "It was... complicated."

"Did you ever tell him?"

Claire took a deep breath. "I'm telling him right now."

Kuja looked up at her sharply, his tail lashing involuntarily, surprise and disbelief creeping into his pale features. Then slowly, skepticism was gradually replaced with naked hope. "You what?" he asked, sounding almost like a frightened child.

Her throat was so tight, she could barely get the next words out. "Guess what his name was," she said quietly.

He swallowed, hard. "Kuja?" he whispered.

Not trusting herself to speak, she simply nodded.

"Ohhh, little bird," Kuja said brokenly, trying to sit up. He sank back down, muttering a curse at his own weakness. Slowly, Claire stretched out beside him and placed her hands on either side of his head. Then, as gently as possible, she brought his face forward until their lips met.

For a second or two, their eyes remained open, as if they were amazed that it was actually happening; that they had actually survived all the painful hardships and misery to get to this point. And then the spell was broken, and Kuja was wrapping his arms possessively around her, stroking her back tenderly, his kisses soft and sweet. Claire took pains to be gentle with him, weaving her fingers through his long hair. In response, his tail curled around her waist, and he made a soft little sound of contentment.

And then, as if a switch had been flipped, Kuja's arms fell away, and his head sank back down onto his cloak, which had been placed beneath it. He lay motionless except for his swaying tail, his eyes closed. Bewildered, Claire felt a rising sense of panic until she grasped what had happened: he had fallen asleep.

_Of course,_ she thought with a sigh; she should have known. He hadn't slept in days, save for those few hours during which his body had completely shut down in protest. She didn't blame him for being exhausted... though he could have picked a better moment.

Smiling, she brushed his silver hair out of his face, then leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Sweet dreams," she whispered. Standing up, she gazed down at him one last time, drinking in the sight of him, and finally stepped out of the tent.

----

A/N: Ah, finally. I hope that made up for my embarrassingly long hiatus. Maybe next time I won't take so danged long! If it looks like I'm delaying, be sure to throw something at me. And in the meantime, please leave a review! I'd like to know that you haven't forgotten about my little story.

-Waki


End file.
